Reversal
by Inuluvr
Summary: Naruto finds himself in a huge dilemma after fighting Sasuke. He and Kyuubi have switched places! Now he is only a subconscience, while Kyuubi controls Naruto's body. During this struggle, Naruto learns about some of his past. Good!Kyuubi Slight NaruSaku
1. The End Of The Beginning

Reversal

The End of the Beginning

The sword rushed towards Naruto, the cold steel glinting in the afternoon sun. He stood, unflinching; he had already decided that he would not give into fear so easily. The wielder laughed as he and Naruto met eyes.

"You're too weak," he whispered to Naruto, who defiantly returned the enemy's gaze, daring him to attack.

Suddenly, Naruto felt the cold steel penetrate his back, and as he fell into an abyss, he heard a distant scream, but he could not say whose. He began to feel as though he was falling… falling… into nothingness; drowning in the darkness.

As he fell into oblivion, he opened his eyes, trying desperately to remember who had been with him, where he had been, who he had been battling. It seemed as though he had lost all of his memory when that icy weapon had reached his heart. He floated in the darkness, for what seemed like forever until suddenly, he remembered everything.

He, Sakura, and Sai had met up with Sasuke, only to find that he was still unwilling to return to the village. He remembered…. Sasuke suddenly appearing behind him, and that sword; that deathly sword. Naruto realized who had screamed: Sakura had been standing behind him and probably had witnessed the entire thing. He hoped that she had not followed his own fate. Naruto closed his eyes again, letting the darkness lull him into a deep sleep, allowing it to carry him into the unknown….

Blood dripped from Sasuke's sword, creating a pool of red beneath him. He withdrew his sword from Naruto's body, letting it fall to the ground. He watched as Naruto's blue eyes faded to a blank gray, there was no longer any life in them. Sasuke was pretty sure he had rid the world of the orange bundle of annoyance.

Sakura watched the entire scene through teary eyes, but could stand aside no longer. She ran to Naruto's body and quickly started to try to revive him, conscious of Sasuke's eyes sharply focused on her.

"There's no point, I hit him in the heart. There is no chance of survival for him, unless of course, you have the medical supplies you need. As I said, he was too weak. He wasn't powerful enough to kill me." Sakura looked up at him with teary defiant eyes. She wasn't going to give up on him- he had never given up on her, so she refused to return that favor by letting him die. But even so, as she looked down at him, she knew she was losing him fast, and she needed medical supplies that weren't going to be available in time. She frantically tried to stop the bleeding, but found it difficult, Sasuke's eyes seem to slow her movements.

Naruto coughed and winced as Sakura placed her hand on the main wound.

"No, Naruto! Please don't leave me!"

Naruto opened his eyes and found himself in the familiar corridors of his mind. He knew not where he was heading, but wondered aimlessly, pondering thoughts of life and death. He felt numb, as though the sword had stolen his sense of touch. He looked warily around the corridors for any sense of direction.

Water could be heard dripping in the distance, as if it were a forgotten underground dungeon, memories locked away in the cells.

As he examined the passageways, he found that everything seemed cold and even more uninviting than usual. He turned a corner and found himself in front of the chamber in which Kyuubi lay in wait. But as he took a step forward, he heard a slight crinkle of paper. Removing his foot, he looked curiously down at the paper and widened his eyes in surprise as he picked up a familiar piece of paper… the seal.

Naruto stood shocked at the crumpled and wet seal that he held in his hand. If he as holding it, that meant-

He looked up as a low growl came from the now open gates. Naruto stood for several moments, frozen with fear. What would Kyuubi do now that he was free? How had he been able to break from the seal?

Questions swam through his heads, clouding his thoughts. He was suddenly gripped with terror, who knew what Kyuubi was capable of.

Kyuubi abruptly burst out of the gates, stumbling blindly around. His roars echoed throughout the chamber, and Naruto backed away, eyes wide with fear. Then suddenly, Kyuubi crashed up against a wall and slumped to the ground.

Naruto cautiously stepped forward, examining Kyuubi, and found that his pelt was matted with blood. He breathed heavily and unevenly, revealing that he was heavily injured, and nearly dead.

Naruto gasped as he recognized the gash in Kyuubi's side. An injury that had been given by a sword, the injury that had thrown Naruto into this dark chamber. He looked down at his own chest, searching for the wound, but found none.

A sudden wave of worry crashed over Naruto as he realized with dread that Kyuubi must have taken the blow, rather than him.

Kyuubi shuddered and his body went limp. Naruto gasped and quickly tried to arouse the fox demon.

"Kyuubi?"


	2. Gyakumodori!

Reversal

Gyakumodori

Naruto stepped a little closer to Kyuubi, knowing not to get too close, aware of Kyuubi's terrible temper.

"Kyuubi?" He repeated cautiously. Kyuubi merely opened one eye, which revealed his pain and… sadness? Naruto was confused by this obvious but unexplained emotion shown in his expression.

Head spinning with questions, Naruto blurted out the first that came to his tongue.

"What… what happened to you?"

Kyuubi attempted to stand up, but was only able to hoist himself up so far before slumping back down in pain. Kyuubi closed his eyes and lay unmoving for several moments, leaving Naruto to his thoughts. But Kyuubi quickly regained consciousness and stared intensely at Naruto, growling softly to him,

"You don't remember, do you?"

Naruto shook his head slightly and opened his mouth to ask what he had forgotten, but he closed it as Kyuubi's growl echoed through the empty corridors. "I suppose you have no idea what happened after Sasuke drove the sword through your heart, do you?" Naruto's eyes widened as he suddenly felt a terrible pain in his chest, and he fell to the ground, cringing as the pain worsened by the second.

"Your memories are coming back, aren't they?" Naruto, now doubled over in pain, looked up and weakly nodded,

"Wha-What's…. happening to me…?" Kyuubi fixed his gaze on nothingness, staring longingly at something invisible to Naruto.

"Naruto-kun," Kyuubi said in an unusually sympathetic tone "The wound you received from Sasuke…. It…" He trailed off and looked over at Naruto, returning his pain-filled gaze. "Naruto-kun, you're no longer of this world. The only thing holding you to this body is the seal." Naruto's eyes widened as memories began to flood back to him.

"I remember now…. She… she tried helping me… but… she couldn't… she didn't have the medical supplies to save me…" Kyuubi watched Naruto, showing signs of regret.

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"Naruto! Naruto, please! Please come back!" Sakura was sitting next to Naruto's limp body, trying desperately to make him regain consciousness. Tears blurred her vision as she tried to heal his wounds, and she didn't tear her eyes away from him until she heard a familiar voice behind her.

"Give up. There's no way he can live through that kind of wound." She looked angrily back at Sai who was standing several feet behind her.

"He's right, Sakura." She turned to the owner of the chilly voice and gave him a vengeful look filled with tears. "He's got no chance," He turned, about to leave. "Seems team 7 has become a two-man team once again…"

He vanished in a cold mist which had suddenly appeared, leaving naught but his last words to echo.

"Sa-Sakura-chan…." Sakura returned her attention to Naruto, who lookes up at her through pain-filled eyes.

"Naruto-kun! Don't move, you're hurt! The anbu will be here soon, so there's no need to worry!" Naruto shook his head,

"Sakura…. My fate has been sealed…. There's no way….. around it…"

"Don't say that! You'll be fine!" She couldn't bear to hear Naruto speaking like this. It was such a contrast to his usual cheery chat.

"Sakura-chan, I…. I'm sorry I couldn't…. fulfill my… promise…"

"Naruto!!" She watched as he closed his eyes for a final time and his body went limp in her arms. She let tears flow from her eyes as she realized with terrible sadness that Naruto was gone.

"NARUTO!"

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"Naruto-kun, do not dwell on those thoughts…" Naruto glared at Kyuubi.

"What did you do? Were you the one who did this?!? Did you use that weakness to break out of your seal?!?" Kyuubi's blood-matted fur began to ruffle as he spoke angrily at Naruto.

"You think I'm happy you died? Do you know where you'd be right now if I hadn't been here to keep you in this body?!? You'd be with the fourth, do you want that? He sealed me inside of you for protection, and all you can do is accuse me for your death?!" Kyuubi squinted angrily at Naruto. "You take your life for granted; saved twice, and you don't even think about your protectors! Impudent fool!" Kyuubi lashed his nine tails, roaring in rage.

"Protection….?" Naruto's eyes seemed to fill with anger. Ignoring the pain in his chest he slowly stood up, glaring at Kyuubi with an intense hatred. "You call being sealed in because of the slaughter of hundreds protection? Protection to who?! Yourself?!"

"Naruto-kun, what did they tell you about when I was sealed…?" Kyuubi's voice was suddenly hushed.

"They told me enough, about how you murdered so many villagers, including the fourth himself!"

"Is there anything else they told you?"

"Is there anything else I need to know?" Kyuubi lowered his head and looked at Naruto through memory-filled eyes.

"Naruto-kun, do you even know who the fourth was?" Confusion clouded Naruto's eyes and he shook his head, unsure of what exactly he had been asked.

"Well then, it seems I have a lot of explaining to do."

Hey all!

Just wanted you guys to know that I'm not dead, and that I will be posting more now that summer is here! XDD

If any of you are wondering, this is a kind of if this were to happen Fanfic that picks up after the cliffhanger left at the beginning of Shippuuden episode 1.

Thanks for all the views, please comment and let me know what you think!

Inu-chan!

P.S. I'm thinking about making a fanfic with Deidara, since he's so cute. X3

Also, Gyakumodori translates to Reversal, so that explains a bit. XDD Thanks again!


	3. Painful Memories

Painful Memories

Kyuubi shifted his weight as much as his wounds would allow, and turned to Naruto.

"Listen, kid, this is going to be a long story, so if I were you, I'd sit back and listen carefully, because I have no patience to keep repeating myself."

"Wait! Before you tell me about the fourth, what happened to you?" Naruto looked questioningly up at Kyuubi.

"Naruto, when you left this world, I was forced to take the wound, since you were no longer there to endure it. Many cursed things occur when a human and demon are sealed together…" He trailed off and sighed, returning his thoughts to the fourth.

"Let's start at the very beginning….Let's see… Yondaime's real name was Namikaze Mikato. He and I were very good friends at the start, he saved me from an inevitable death, and I was in debt. So I became his summon. For a while, we were friends, and we grew up together, but eventually, people got in our way, and we were tricked into becoming enemies… The night we fought… his son was having his first birthday… I had promised before that I would protect his son, and he kept me up with that offer… He sealed me away in his son's body so that if something like this ever happened, I would be able to save the young boy. And look, his plan worked after all… " Kyuubi had a very sad and regretful look on his face.

"You mean…..?" Naruto was suddenly very pale.

"Ah, Naruto. Yondaime was your father."

-------

Namikaze sat his pack down in the cool shade and looked up at the great oak above him. He kicked off his boots and let his feet slide into the cold water of the stream, cringing when his toes tapped the light surface. He quickly stepped back when his foot plunged into the cold waters, leaving a numb feeling in his left leg.

"Damn, the water's cold." He said to himself; he began concentrating his chakra into his feet and again, tried to walk on the cool surface of the stream.

SPLISH!

Several hours later, Namikaze was still trying to get the hang of walking on water. This time, however, he was quite tired and ready for some food; being the forgetful person he was, though, he had forgotten to bring a pot to boil the ramen he had packed with him.

He tried one last time, stepping very gracefully onto the surface. His sensei had told him he could not come back until he had mastered walking on water.

SPLISH!

Namikaze fell right into the stream again, going under the water for several seconds before returning to the surface with a big fish. A large grin overtook his face as he struggled with the fish, dragging it to the shore.

"Hee, Looks like I'll be eating good tonight!" He said as he looked up at the darkening sky. He started a fire and leaned on the trunk of the large oak, listening to the loud crackling of the flames.

Namikaze had created a spit that now rested over the warm fire, and his stomach grumbled as the aroma of fish began to hang heavy in the humid summer air.

Suddenly, a terrible screech of a wounded animal filled the night air, freezing Namikaze to his spot. The sound died into a very soft whimpering, and Namikaze followed the cries to find what was in so much pain.

Namikaze walked over to a small patch of tall grass, and moving the long blades, he found a small fox curled up, shaking uncontrollably and whimpering pathetically. It was covered in small injuries and had already lost much blood.

Namikaze, feeling sympathetic for the small fox, picked it up and took it back to his camp. He wrapped it in a small cloth he ripped from his shirt, and treated the wounds as best as he knew how. The fox, on the way over to the fire had lost consciousness and now lay, breathing heavily by the warm flames.

However, before long, the fox was beginning to stir, and Namikaze watched as it weakly opened one eye. The young kit tried to stand up, but fell over and squealed as it re-opened a wound.

Namikaze's stomach growled, and he took the fish off the spit, deciding it was done well enough. He bit into the fish and smiled feeling it go down his throat; he hadn't eaten since breakfast, and he was starving. He opened his mouth for another bite when he felt two paws on his leg, and saw the kit sniff the air curiously, his front paws leaning on his leg, hopeful to swipe a bite from the warm fish.

Namikaze sighed and gave the fish to the kit, watching as it wolfed down the meal gratefully. The small kit's bandages were dripping blood, and Namikaze knew that he couldn't just leave it here, he would have to take care of it, or at least until it was able to defend itself.

Although, he was surprised, this kit was still too young to be off on its own, and he wondered where its mother was. He decided that he wouldn't bother with dealing with it. He sat and watched the flames of the fire reach to the sky and leaned against the old oak. He closed his eyes and quickly fell asleep; the training had taken a lot out of him.

The small kit looked up at his rescuer and wondered why he had been impelled to save a small fox such as himself. And then he began to wonder if the young boy knew that he was dealing with a nine tails and not just a regular fox.

However, the sudden attack from that unknown creature had left the young demon tired, and it looked for a good spot to make a warm bed.

A small smile crossed Namikaze as a light weight landed on his chest and settled down. And they both slept soundly through the night.

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Can you guys guess who the young demon is? Pretty obvious I'm sure. X3

I'm fairly proud of this piece, but I allow criticism, like I already know that this chapter does not flow at all with the rest of the chapters, it's just that my writing style kinda changes throughout. XD

Inuluvr


	4. A Lost Soul

A Lost Soul

Naruto looked over at Kyuubi,

"So, you two were actually friends? Then… why did you attack the village….?"

"You'll learn the answers all in good time… But for right now, I think it would be best to concentrate on what's at hand. Naruto, you're not permanently sealed to this body, only for a little while, so we need to fix this terrible situation before too long…"

Kyuubi stood up, his wounds seemed to be healing quickly, but Naruto could still tell they were causing him great pain. "Listen, Naruto, we don't have much time… the only way I can keep you in this body is if Nami-san helps me with the seal, but seeing as he's been gone for a while…"

The pain of the sword had disappeared, but the cold steel seemed to stay within him, as he felt nothing but a cold emptiness.

"Kyuubi-kun, I have one question…" Kyuubi looked questioningly at Naruto. "If I'm not alive, then what is going on with my body, and what would sealing me to it do? If I'm dead… is there really any reason to keep me around?"

Kyuubi's eyes flickered, revealing a deep sadness within.

"Naruto-kun…. I'm an ally, which is something you'll have to understand. Nami-sama sealed me here in order to catch you when you fall, to give you power when you need it."

Naruto remained quiet, trying not to meet Kyuubi's cold eyes. All this time he had thought that Kyuubi was an enemy to him… but now? He still wasn't ready to trust the nine-tails, but, he argued to himself, Kyuubi had saved him from leaving his body…

Kyuubi turned to Naruto, "Listen, Naruto-kun, I need to ask a favor of you… I have an idea about how to get Namikaze here to help, but I need you to concentrate hard. Think back to the times when you were younger, back when Nami-sama was still alive. I believe that in reviving him in your memory, we'll be able to sustain him long enough for him to assist me."

He turned to leave, but then looked back at Naruto, "As for your body…."

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Sakura sat beside Naruto's limp body, tears streaming down her face. Sai was behind her, trying to comfort her, but not succeeding due to his lack of emotion.

"Sakura, these tears," He said blankly. " They're real aren't they?" Sakura covered her eyes and did not respond.

Sai looked up as several ANBU members gathered behind. He heard one whisper to another

"That's the nine-tails isn't it?" Sai could see Yamato fill several of the other ANBU members in on what had happened, and as he turned his attention back to Sakura he found her unconscious beside Naruto. The stress had proved too much for her to handle, and she seemed to have collapsed. He stood up as the ANBU picked up Sakura and Naruto and carried them back to the village.

Back at the village, Tsunade looked over Sakura and Naruto carefully. When the ANBU had arrived, she had been forced to hide her tears when she first saw Naruto's limp and injured body. She knew it was too late for him, and the thought of having to tell the village, and all of Naruto's close friends, hurt her.

She saw them both to the hospital and slowly walked back to her office, wondering if Kyuubi would break free from the seal. If so, she would have to work quickly to figure out how to remove Kyuubi and replace him in another body.

She pondered these thoughts, but also thought back to Namikaze. He had trusted Kyuubi to protect Naruto, but had Kyuubi been able to keep that promise he had made so many years ago? Kyuubi had agreed to the promise during the time he had begun betraying Yondaime.

Tsunade shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts. First thing was first, she would have to figure out who Kyuubi should be sealed in. She was worried, this was the first time a jinchuuriki had died on such a short notice. She had no idea what would happen if she tried removing the bijuu from a dead jinchuuriki.

She pulled out the file previous ninjas had written on jinchuuriki, and began to skim the paragraphs. Tsunade had to figure everything out, and fast. The entire village was in danger, and she had no idea how long she had to solve the problem.

Shizune burst open the door, breaking Tsunade's concentration.

"Tsunade! You have to come quickly! Naruto… He's…. he's…. Please! You must come now!"


	5. Pasts Revealed

Pasts Revealed

Tsunade ran into the hospital wing, panic overtaking her thoughts. If what Shizune had said was true, Kyuubi would soon be free to destroy the village once again.

The hokage burst open the door, startling the ANBU surrounding the hospital bed.

"Let me see him!" She shouted, pushing several of the nin away from the bed.

Naruto's seal was leaking red chakra, and his body was tensing up, as though he was still feeling pain. Tsunade put her hand on the seal, and pulled away when she felt a pulse from within. Her eyes narrowed as she concentrated on the current situation. Kyuubi hadn't broken the seal, he reinforced it, but doing such a thing would lock him inside of Naruto for an even longer time. What was going on?

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Naruto closed his eyes and thought hard, recalling memories he had shoved to the back of his thoughts. It was amazing how much of his childhood he could remember; he had always tried to forget his past since everyone had ignored him, but now that he concentrated, he found many happy memories as well.

As he thought back, he came to a certain memory that made him smile, one that he treasured more than any other. His first trip to Ichiraku. It was his fourth birthday, and Iruka had promised to take him for something to eat. Naruto had wanted to celebrate by eating instant ramen with Iruka, but Iruka had come up with a better idea.

"Naruto," he had said, smiling. "I know a restaurant that you will really like!" Naruto had looked up at him with excited eyes, it would be the first time he would have ever been taken out to eat.

Naruto could still remember the heavenly smell of the ramen when it had been set in front of him. He had taken a big bite and looked up at Iruka, who gave him a huge smile. Naruto returned the smile and hugged Iruka.

"Thank you so much, Iruka-sensei! This is the best birthday I've ever had! This is the first time anyone's taken me out to eat." Iruka had smiled, pleased at Naruto's happiness, and since then, Iruka had taken Naruto to Ichiraku for ramen on his birthday.

Naruto opened his eyes, and looked at the empty halls surrounding him. Kyuubi had left to search his memory for any thoughts of Yondaime and had been gone for a while. He felt a deep sadness, his own father had been Yondaime, and no one had bothered to tell him? But he turned his thoughts away from such sad matters, he may soon meet his father.

A deep growl made Naruto turn around to face two leering eyes, glowing in the dim light.

"Naruto-kun, there's someone here I'd like you to meet." Naruto watched as a figure appeared next to Kyuubi, his footsteps echoing in the halls.

"Naruto-san, it's been so long," said a familiar voice. Yondaime appeared from the shadows, a goofy smile slapped on his face. "It's been what, around sixteen years since I've seen you, and still, you're getting yourself into so much trouble?"

Naruto stared up at him, he was so kind, and nothing at all what he had expected. From all the stories told to him, Naruto had gathered that Yondaime was a strict leader that very rarely laughed. But looking at him, Naruto could see that he was nothing at all like the stories portrayed him to be, he seemed to be a very silly and joking person.

"Cat got your tongue?" Yondaime said, laughing. Naruto looked away, embarrassed, he didn't remember Yondaime at all, and didn't know what to say to him.

"I-I'm sorry, I don't remember you…" Naruto stammered, and the second he said it he wished he hadn't because he saw a trace of sadness in Yondaime's eyes. But the sadness disappeared as quickly as it had come.

"I guess I couldn't really expect you to remember me, since you were only two or so when I was alive." Naruto was amazed by how long Yondaime was smiling, he truly was happy to see Naruto even if he wasn't remembered. "Well, as much as I'd like to stay and chat, I know that we have to hurry. From what I've heard from Kyuubi, it seems that we need to use that technique."

"What technique?" Naruto inquired. The way Yondaime had said it made it seem as though it was a very important, possibly forbidden technique.

Yondaime turned to Kyuubi and playfully punched him in the side.  
"You didn't even tell Naruto-san about Gyakumodori no jutsu?" Kyuubi made a noise similar to a laugh and replied,

"I thought I'd leave the fun part for you." Just by the playfulness between the two, Naruto could tell that they had been friends since the very first meeting.

"Well then, Naruto-san, I'll let you know about Gyakumodori no jutsu, Gyakumodori is a forbidden technique only used with jinchuuriki in very bad situations. Gyakumodori is a technique in which the biiju and the human switch places in the body."

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The morning sun shone brightly through the leaves of the trees as Minato woke up beneath the great oak. The small little fox lay beside him, sleeping soundly with his feet up in the air.

Minato smiled mischievously as he played with the small kit's whiskers. Every time he tickled the baby fox's whiskers, it made a small squeak noise and twitched his nose. The fox had been stayed with him for two weeks now, and he was glad to have the company.

He played with the kit's whiskers some more and suppressed laughter as the baby sneezed. Then, out of the blue, the kit woke up and chomped down hard on Minato's hand, who sat shocked for several seconds before yelping and pulling his hand away.

The kit looked up at Minato in a devious way, as if he had been planning it from the start. Minato smiled, ignoring the pain in his hand; he just couldn't stay mad at the fox for long. He hoped that he and the fox would become good friends and form a bond of summon and nin.

As he and the young nine-tails trained together, their friendship seemed ever-lasting, and no one could ever foresee the terrible fate that awaited the two partners.

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Inuluvr here!

I want to thank you all for the +alerts+favs and reviews on this story! I really do like to read them! Keep the comments coming! They keep me motivated! XD

Thanks!


	6. A Seal of Destruction

A Seal of Destruction

Naruto's blue eyes widened in amazement and interest. He had never heard of such a seal, and the thought of it made his blood run cold. Such a technique would require a lot of chakra, chakra that Naruto feared was the reason this technique was forbidden.

Yondaime smiled at Naruto, giving him confidence.

"Naruto-kun, don't worry, the reason this technique is forbidden is only because it could kill both the bijuu and human, but since you're no longer here, the only danger we have is killing Kyuubi!"

Naruto looked at Yondaime as though he were mad, and Kyuubi made a small noise to show his disgust. Naruto was beginning to think that Yondaime was a little crazy, if not completely nuts.

"And you say that to comfort me?!?" Yondaime laughed lightly and inquired,

"You're worried about Kyuubi-kun here? Heh, I guess you know now that he's all talk and no bite."

"What did you just say….?" Kyuubi's fur ruffled angrily and a low growl filled the halls. "If I'm no bite, tell me, what's that scar on your hand, hmm? And don't forget I did that when I only had one tail! Not only that, but remember, I saved you from assured death!"

Yondaime looked down on his hand and stuck his tongue out at Kyuubi. Naruto was completely taken aback; he had never expected such behavior from Kyuubi, or Yondaime for that matter! Even so, the final line caught Naruto's attention most. Kyuubi saved Yondaime's life…? He had not expected such a caring act from a demon, especially the strongest.

Even through the fighting, however, Naruto could tell that Kyuubi and Yondaime were just joking around. Although, he noticed that there was indeed a scar on his hand, and he wondered how it had come to be. The scar was two distinct fang marks on his hand, however, the fangs were probably significantly smaller than they were now.

"Anyway'" Yondaime turned to Naruto, suddenly serious. "We need to get this done, we shouldn't waste another minute. Unfortunately, Naruto-san, this may be a little uncomfortable for you, but it's your only hope. Oh and Kyuubi, you need to make sure that you act like Naruto when you're in control of the body."

"No way. I am not going to act like a hyperactive little punk with no sense."

"Hey! That's no fair!" Naruto pouted. "I'm completely mature!"

"Enough, both of you desist!" Yondaime was suddenly very stern sounding. "If you are to be bijuu and human, you need to learn to work together. Otherwise, your seal will fall apart, and Naruto, you will die, and Kyuubi, you will be stuck in this body until you die."

Silence followed Yondaime's lecture, and both Naruto and Kyuubi looked reluctantly at each other, mumbling their apologies.

"Good, now I'm going to help with Gyakumodori, but that is all the assistance I will be able to provide. You two will need to learn to get along. A future hokage should be able to handle that, right Naruto?"

Naruto's eyes widened in surprise.

"Y-you know my dream?!?" Yondaime smiled heartily and ruffled Naruto's hair.

"Of course! You've only sworn by it a million times! Remember, even though my body may be gone, my soul still lives within you. You keep me alive, even with the very few memories you have of me."

Naruto looked up in wonder and returned the fourth's smile. "Now then, shall we commence with Gyakumodori?"

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Minato looked sadly down at the small fox staring up at him. He did not want to leave the fox after being together with it for so long, but he was left with no choice. He had been called back to the village due to a war that had broken out between the leaf and sand villages, and he knew very well that the second would not take kindly to a fox brought into the village at such a disorderly time.

Earlier that morning, Minato had gotten a scroll, describing the terrible situation in the village. Several nin were dead, and those training in the nearby areas were being called for reinforcements.

He needed to be back in the village, and quickly, however, he was lurking in territory partly owned by the enemy, which meant spies were almost a certain threat.

Minato pushed some bushes out of the way, scanning the area for ninjas, but when he found none, he stealthily stepped into the clearing. No sooner had he set his foot down than two sand nin appeared behind him, then everything went black.

When he came to, he found himself bound with the two ninjas from before hovering over him.

"A spy you think? A young one if he is…" The nin smiled wickedly, letting his silver hair fall into his face. His eyes were a wild purple, sharp and cold, yet completely evil. "I think we should kill 'im. It's been a while since I've let these blades of mine feel some of that warm liquid."

The other spy, a brown haired girl merely cursed at the first nin's hasty personality and walked over to Namikaze.

"I think he's kinda cute! Kuro, put down those damn swords, will you please?" Kuro glared angrily at the girl and sheathed his swords, grumbling some insults under his breath.

"Well then," said the girl, "what business does a little Konoha boy have here, certainly you're too young to be a spy? Or perhaps you just didn't know that you had stumbled into the Sand Village's property?" She waited for a response, but received nothing but a defiant glare.

"What's wrong with you? Cat got your tongue?" She smiled and stood up, turning her attention to Kuro. "Alright, do what you want with him, he's not going to be of any use."

"I was training," Minato said, his gaze still fixed defiantly on her, "To become Hokage."

"The little mouse spoke! Heh, training to become Hokage, you say? What a waste! Kuro, kill the little twerp."

Kuro stood up, the wicked smile back on his face.

"Prepare to die!" He shouted as he pulled out the swords and ran straight at Minato who closed his eyes and sighed, _I suppose this is it_, he thought.

Minato winced as warm blood splattered on his face, followed by a small pain in his side. He opened one eye and saw that the young kit was standing, the blade of the sword caught in his mouth.

Kuro let out a yell and stumbled back, holding his eye.

"DAMN THAT LITTLE FOX!" His partner was laughing at Kuro as he writhed on the ground.

"A little fox could beat you, Kuro? Come on, you're pathetic. Seems like I'll be the one to clean up this mess." She pulled out a kunai and threw it at the small fox, which dodged the attack and sped towards the girl.

The girl had begun to run forward, however tried to stop seeing that the fox was charging. But, the nin was too late, she did not have enough time to protect herself. The fox grabbed onto her arm and dragged his back legs across her stomach.

"Yeah, a little fox could beat me, Kobi." Kuro said angrily. Blood dripping to the ground, Kobi stood up and threw the fox off of her.

"Retreat. Now." And they both disappeared.

Minato watched in surprise as the fox limped over to him. It had injured its leg again, but as Minato looked, he noticed something that froze him. The fox no longer had one tail, it had two.

Once the ropes had been bitten loose, the fox fell onto its side, breathing heavily. Minato knew that he couldn't leave the kit, so he scooped it up in his arms and carried it back to the village with him.

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Inuluvr here!

Well, here you guys go! Another chapter of Reversal! I got some comments that suggested that I make the chapters longer, so I figured, why not?

To let you all know what's going on right now, I'm leaving for the beach for the next week or so, so I may not be very active. The place in which we stay has dial-up and for those of you familiar with it… well, you get my drift. It's terrible.

Anyway, let me know what you think and if you believe that I should continue. I probably will even if you don't want me to, but I'd like to know your thought! Also…. **–**coughcough- I'm… uh… looking for beta readers… )

Thanks!


	7. A Final Farewell

A Final Farewell

Naruto looked up at Yondaime, nervous about going through the sealing. He didn't have a very distinct memory of when Kyuubi was sealed inside of him, but he had read about how the pain of sealing sometimes made ninjas fall into unconsciousness.

He was worried about Kyuubi, even though he still wasn't sure he could be trusted. Naruto didn't want Kyuubi to die for two reasons. One, that if Kyuubi went, he would die as well. Two, he was beginning to like having the nine-tails around him, even though he had attacked the village.

A sudden though popped into his head, and he blurted it out before he could stop himself.

"If you two were such good friends, why did you attack the village?" As soon as Naruto had said that, he wished he hadn't for he could tell he had hit a very sore spot between the two. Yondaime shaded his eyes as his smile slowly faded away, and Kyuubi looked down at the ground, shuffling his paws together.

"S-sorry," Naruto murmured, embarrassed at the silence that had followed his question. Kyuubi shifted his eyes towards Yondaime, apparently regretful about something, but what, Naruto was unsure of.

"We should continue with the sealing." Yondaime said sternly, careful not to meet Kyuubi's eyes. Kyuubi nodded, and also averted his eyes from his friend, which made Naruto uneasy.

Surely Yondaime wouldn't allow the sealing if he didn't trust Kyuubi, right? Naruto assured himself that his father would not entrust him to someone who he was enemies with, but even so, their sudden silence at the mention of betrayal made him even more nervous than before.

Yondaime pulled out a scroll and laid it on the ground, straightening it out so there were no folds in the paper.

"Listen up, you two, after this, you'll be on your own, so you'll have to figure things out together." He squatted beside the scroll and pulled out a brush, rewriting some of the sealing scroll. "You see, when you cross this out and replace it with this, you'll get the reversal scroll from a normal sealing scroll. Now, if you would," He stood up and walked over to Naruto, holding out his hand and slicing it a little with a kunai.

"Gah! What was that for!" Naruto had not been expecting the sudden attack from Yondaime.

"I need blood from both of you in order for the seal to work." Yondaime explained as he directed Naruto to make a blood handprint in the center of the seal. Naruto's eyes widened as his blood steamed on the paper until it evaporated. In it's place was a small mark, and as Kyuubi did the same, another small mark appeared.

"The preparations are complete, are you both ready?" Naruto and Kyuubi exchanged glances, and nodded. "Then, here we go!"

Yondaime cut his hand and added the final mark, "GYAKUMODORI!" A sudden white beam of light shot out of the scroll, lighting up Yondaime's concentrated expression. He looked up from the scroll and met Naruto's eyes.

"I suppose it's goodbye for now…" A weak smile appeared on his face as he was engulfed in the bright light. Naruto fell to the ground as a wave of great pain overcame him. His seal was burning, but mostly, it was his heart, and as he looked down, he saw that his fatal wound was returning. Blood dripped from his chest, and he breathed heavily, wondering what was going on. Yondaime had said nothing about his wounds re-opening, and Naruto wondered if Gyakumodori hadn't worked after all.

He felt his body weakening as the world spun around him, and he fell into a lulling unconsciousness.

--------------

'YOU WHAT?!?" The second turned on Minato, glaring at him angrily. "At a time like this? Why would you take a beast like this right now. The village has enough to deal with, you didn't need to add to the number of problems!"

Minato sheepishly looked away and tried to reason with the second. "But he saved my life! He may be able to help with the war!"

"ABSOLUTELY NOT!" Nidaime fury was now very prominent. "You get out and help your teammates, right now, several have died already due to the sand's powerful ninjas. We need all the help we can get. We'll discuss _this_ matter later."

The second turned and pushed Minato out the door. Cursing, Minato let the young nine-tails down to the ground.

"Well, I don't care what the second says, you're coming to help me!" The young nine-tails cocked his head to the side and bounded after Minato as he ran to aid his teammates.

When they reached the battle field, Minato found that the sand nin were closing in on the remaining Konoha ninja. One of the younger nin's face lit up when Minato came.

"Look, it's the yellow flash!" Minato quickly scoped out the area. Twelve of the leaf nins remained while there were about thirty or so sand nins. Namikaze withdrew a kunai and leaped at one of the nins, executing him quickly. One down, twenty some to go.

Minato rushed from one nin to another. Eighteen…nineteen…twenty… twenty one! He stopped and wiped the blood from his kunai.

In the distance, he could here his fellow leaf ninjas gasping,

"H-he's so fast!"

"Incredible!"

Minato faced them, proud of how far his training had led him, and let out a small laugh. He had defeated them all in this battle field, given, they were the younger ninjas, but still. No…. wait, Minato paused as he realized there was one left. Above? Below? Certainly not in front… He wheeled around in time to see a sand nin coming at him with a poisoned blade. He tried to shield himself, but it was too late, the sand ninja had been able to hit him in the stomach.

Minato stood for several seconds, before staggering back and falling to his knees, then to the ground. Everything was a dark black.

-------------

Hey all,

I'm going to start with the more pressing matters this time. I desperately need beta readers! Please, I can feel my work getting weaker and weaker, and I need some guidance. It doesn't even have to be a fully detailed reread. In fact, it would be awesome if someone would just skim it and let me know some of the weaker points of my writing. Thanks!

I'm back from the beach and back in business… sort-of. I'm going to be fairly busy because Otakon is coming up, and my costume isn't quite finished yet. So please do not be upset if I am unable to update this story every night… I'm trying my best!

Inu-san


	8. A Difficult Disguise

A Difficult Disguise

Minato opened his eyes and blinked at the bright lights in the hospital room. He attempted to sit up, but found that his wound still stung, and did not allow for much movement. He tried desperately to remember what had happened, but he found no memories, for he had quickly lost consciousness due to the quickly acting poisons that had coated the enemy's blade.

A sudden movement caught Minato's eye, and he turned his head to find his good friend and close teammate, Amai, sleeping on a wooden chair that had been pulled up next to his bed. He smiled as he realized that she must have been waiting for him the entire time he had been out.

Deciding not to wake her, Minato tried to step out of the bed and begin walking, but to no avail; he stumbled noisily off of the bed, falling to the ground and finding that he was unable to get back up. Damn, he thought, the poison has made me really weak…

That's when he noticed Amai looking down at him with her crystal blue eyes filled with worry and scorn.

"You know, if you push yourself too hard, you're going to make this permanent." Minato smiled weakly, trying to push himself off the ground.

"Listen, you!" Amai bent down and knocked on his head, "I told you, don't strain yourself!" She knelt down beside him and lifted his limp body from the floor, placing him on the hospital bed once again.

"Amai-san, what… what happened?" The smile faded from her face and she looked down at him with concern.

"We were hoping to ask you the same thing," She said worriedly, "All the ninja that had been with you when you were injured said that you fell to the ground and lay there for a few moments, but then…" She trailed off and looked at Minato with tear-stained eyes. "That's when I arrived… you were being consumed by a terrible red chakra with so much power, and you… you…" She looked away, spilling tears on the floor. "…Your eyes… they were a terrible blood color… But the ninja… you didn't recognize them… and you…. You tried to kill every single one of them…"

Minato's eyes widened in fright and surprise; he did not remember fighting any ninja after falling.

"Your eyes… that's what got me the most… They were so unlike you… so… evil. Almost as though the red chakra had taken over your thoughts… you didn't even recognize me…"

Minato looked in horror as the sleeve of her shirt slid down her shoulder, revealing a new and deep scar. Realizing her scar had been seen, she quickly covered it again, as though she was scared Minato might attack again at the sight of the blood.

They sat in silence for several minutes, Minato in shock, Amai in pain in having to reveal this horrible truth.

That's when the second appeared in the doorway of Minato's room, carrying a small pile of fluff in his arms, his expression blank. The second he came, however, Amai ran out of the room, tears trailing behind her. However, the second's eyes continued to reveal the same unreadable expression, and he didn't even notice her running out of the room.

"Minato. We need to discuss this." He said in an eerily calm tone as he lifted the small fox, which dangled motionless, from the scruff. Minato was amazed by what he saw, the fox now had four tails, two more than he had last seen it with.

--------------------

Naruto woke in a brightly lit room filled with the smell of gauze and medicines. His nose tingled at the strength of the smell, he had never smelled anything quite as nauseating as that before. The potent smell, he knew was used by the ninjas that healed their injured allies, he recognized it from a long way back… Someone was near, he could sense it. Naruto sat up in the bed and looked out the window.

A sudden clatter startled him, and he looked over at a familiar female ninja standing in the doorway. She stood amazed, the platter of food that she had been holding now spilled over the ground. However, it was obvious that didn't matter to her, because she ran over to him, tears of joy filling her eyes.

She flung herself full-force at him, swinging her arms around his neck. He choked as her scent flooded his senses.

"Naruto-kun! You're awake!" Naruto, taken aback, sat with the kunoichi's arms wrapped around him for a couple seconds. He could feel her excitement, and happiness as she sobbed tears of joy into his shoulder.

She looked up and smiled, her green eyes shone like emeralds, "Naruto-kun, I'm sure you've no idea how long you've been unconscious! I…I can't believe you're finally awake! I was worried… you… Tsunade-sama…" She tightened her grip, almost choking Naruto, who was now sitting very stiffly, not sure what to make of the scenario. He decided, he needed to talk to Tsunade first and get things situated, let her know what was happening.

"Where's Tsunade-sama?" He said, revealing no emotion. The young kunoichi, puzzled, released Naruto from her tight grip, wiped her eyes and took a closer look at Naruto.

"Naruto-kun… your eyes aren't normal, you must be pulling from Kyuubi's chakra, which is disorienting you… Why don't you get some sleep?"

Naruto shook his head,

"I need to speak with Tsunade."

"Just get some sleep, I'll clean up that mess and bring you some Ichiraku ramen…" Naruto was beginning to lose patience with the girl. He narrowed his eyes, and stared intensely at her, his pupils slit like a cat's.

"Get Tsunade." The pink-haired kunoichi stood up, surprised by his sudden response. She did not respond, but instead knelt down by the spilled food, cleaned it up and exited, not letting Naruto see the hurt in her eyes. He sat in his bed, until he smelled a very familiar scent, one that he could not very soon forget.

Naruto looked up and met with Tsunade's angry eyes. He could tell she was not happy with him.

"Naruto! Sakura has been sitting by your side for two weeks, refusing to leave your side, and you return the favor by giving her the damn cold shoulder. Do you know how much Sakura worried about you? She was the one who brought your limp body back to the village, and you can't even say thank you? It's quite unlike you!"

Naruto's blank expression sent shivers down Tsunade's spine, though she would not admit it.

"Naruto-kun is dead," He said, continuing to express no emotion.

"Kyuubi…" She said softly, tears of anger filling her eyes. Kyuubi could sense that she was suddenly very distant, perhaps mourning Naruto's death. "Could this… really be fate?"

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Inuluvr here-

Yesh! Did anyone catch that? I used Tsunade's words from the 4th movie when she finds out Naruto supposedly died. [As seen in the trailer(Not that I'm waiting for the movie or anything…)

I'm sorry about my lack of updates recently; though, I'll let you know, I'm going to be posting more. Otakon is over, as sad as that is, but I had a blast. If anyone was there, I was the imp Midna. XD Now I can finally get back into my schedule! It may take me a while, but mark my word, this will be one fanfiction I will finish. In fact, I think it's my best yet! XD

Again, thanks to you all who are keeping up with my story, I really appreciate it! I'm sorry if I can't get this chapter up for a while, but my internet has been periodically dying.

Questions? Comments? IM me as KyuubiNaruLover, or visit my hompage!

-Inuluvr out!


	9. The Only Hope

As a heads up-

The chapters after this are all going to be a little difficult for me to write, and as a consequence, may end up a little difficult to understand. Everyone will address the conscious Naruto "Naruto", when in truth it is actually Kyuubi controlling the body, talking, and acting. However, as a little spoiler, I will tell you that the real Naruto (not Kyuubi) will be active in later chapters.

I'm sorry if this will be difficult to follow, but this is that part that's been giving me the most nightmares thinking about. It's the most reason I've been hesitant to continue this story. But don't worry, I plan to continue. XD

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The Only Hope

"I told you there would be consequences taking this demon with you. You've seriously injured three of our very powerful nin, and almost killed a young genin." The second threw the young fox onto Minato's bed, and watched as its wounds began to bleed. "This demon was able to control you and take over your thoughts." He narrowed his eyes, letting his anger show and pierce Minato.

"Amai… does she know?" Minato was concerned about his close friend, her reaction showed she now feared him, which made him angry at himself.

"She was the one who tried to stop you, but you merely flung her to the side. If you plan to work with the demon, you will need to train it to speak our tongue or learn the demon's tongue. That way you will be able to communicate, and terrible things like this won't happen."

Minato did not meet the second's eyes, but could feel them burning into his head.

"Everyone hates me now, then?" He looked over at the small fox, now curled up on the bed beside him on red soaked sheets.

The second turned to leave and did not respond immediately, shading his eyes.

"Not everyone, but many believe you are not to be trusted. Watch your back. I suggest if you do decide to train with that demon, you should leave the village." With that, the second walked out, closing the door behind him, leaving Minato to his thoughts.

Minato scooped up the small four-tails and held him close.

"You're the only one I've got left… I suppose we'll leave the village until I'm forgotten… Then we'll come back and surprise everyone by showing them how a demon and human can get along! It's never been done before, but I believe it can happen."

The young fox shivered in Minato's hands and made a small mew before falling asleep again. Minato stood up, finding himself stronger, and walked over to the open window. He blinked as he jumped out of the room onto a roof, set for unknown horizons.

---------------

Tsunade stood in front of Naruto, tears streaming down her face as she realized this boy was no longer himself, but a demon of unknown power. Naruto stepped forward, not knowing how to respond to her sudden outburst.

"Tsunade-sama… I've tried my best, I have been able to keep his spirit contained in this body by using Gyakumodori, but…" He trailed off for a minute before continuing. " We need to get things back to normal, but you as the Hokage are the only one who has access to scrolls of such a dangerous technique."

Tsunade looked up through teary eyes, and did not respond. Instead, she fell forward, overwhelmed by everything. Naruto jumped down and caught her before she hit the ground, looking at her carefully.

When Tsunade woke, she found two concerned red eyes staring down at her. She sat up and held her head as she remembered everything. She didn't want to remember, though, the more she thought back, the more she wished she could go back to sleep. Naruto hadn't been able to complete his dream, just as may others had, he had fallen at the least expected time.

As she sat up, Naruto stood up and jumped to the window sill, looking out over the village.

"He's still alive, just not conscious," Tsunade looked over at him, wondering why he was explaining this matter. She knew very well he was still alive, but only for a while. Thought, she was unsure if there was any way to return things to the way they were.

"I know Gyakumodori only a little, but I believe that Naruto will come back, he wouldn't give up so easily." Naruto turned and blinked his red eyes, smiling.

"Ah, I know that as well, but it's going to be a very long journey, and very difficult, I'm sure."

Tsunade stood up and walked over to Naruto,

"Kyuubi, I want to thank you. It seems the fourth's prediction was right, even though no one trusted you two for the longest time, you made a formidable team. And it seems even demons such as yourself can be trusted."

Naruto sighed and nodded, following as Tsunade led him out of the room and to her office.

"So, where is the scroll?" He said as they walked into Tsunade's office. She walked over to a cabinet and unlocked it, rustling the papers inside until she pulled out a yellowed scroll.

"When we read this, it should give us an idea of how to save Naruto from this fate, but I'm sure it won't be pleasant." Tsunade looked at Naruto carefully, "Are you ready?"

Naruto nodded and watched as she released the seal on the forbidden scroll, which rolled out over the table, revealing many written documents concerning Gyakumodori.

The line that caught Naruto's attention was one that burned in his mind throughout the adventure.

Those who are known as the Jinchuuriki are unstable and easily destroyed. In such an occasion, the bijuu may keep the container alive to protect himself, but in all attempts, either the bijuu or container dies.


	10. Terrible Truths

Terrible Truths

Naruto stared at the scroll trying to take everything in. Unfortunately, though, Yondaime had only taught him to speak the human language, not read it. He could read, but not very well; Tsunade seemed to realize this quickly and began to read the important parts aloud.

"This sealing technique has been used but a few times, and in most cases, neither Bijuu or container have been willing to work together. This cooperation is very key to their survival, and without it at least one of the pair will die."

Tsunade skipped the next paragraph, explaining it was merely directions how to use the technique.

"For the Bijuu, difficulties in mobility as well as communication are common. Many bijuu are used to running on four legs and may find it difficult to train themselves to walk on two. Communication, however is the more pressing matter. When the bijuu is in control of the body, it will need to be trained by either what used to be the container or surrounding people. Without good communication, the bijuu will be unable to help the container when returning to normal, which may cause problems.

For the container, it is hard to portray their position. In some cases, the container awakes, when in others, they stay unconscious the entire time. If the container wakes, they will be able to speak to their Bijuu in a sort of telepathic manner."

Tsunade turned to Naruto, "Naruto may not wake up, but I can trust you to take care of him?" Naruto nodded,

"Of course, you can count on me. I wouldn't dream of letting harm come to him… Even though he's been a nuisance sometimes, I've enjoyed having him for comic relief." Naruto smiled, and beckoned Tsunade to continue. She scanned the scroll for more important parts until she came to the very last paragraph.

"If the Bijuu and container wish to return to the way they were, they will be able to do so, but only with a very high risk at hand. They must defeat and take the life of the person who killed the container."

Tsunade fell silent, and Naruto looked away from the scroll, knowing that such a feat would be difficult. He also knew Naruto would not be willing to kill his friend for his own life.

"He… he wouldn't want to do that." Naruto said weakly. However, Tsunade straightened her posture and looked at Naruto with piercing eyes.

"He's going to do it… I'm going to make it a mission… he's never been able to refuse a mission."

Naruto looked at Tsunade and shook his head,

"He won't do it… And I don't want to destroy the relationship between him and that pink-haired Kunoichi… He made a promise to bring Sasuke back, and if I kill him-" Just then, Sakura burst through the door, tears streaming down her face.

"Kyuubi… Please!" Naruto took a step back in surprise as the kunoichi wrapped her arms around him again. "Kyuubi, if it brings Naruto-kun back again… Please… Kill him." Naruto looked down, not responding, but instead of leaving her alone, he put her hands on her shoulders and pushed her back.

"If you'd rather have Naruto than Sasuke living, I'll try to talk to him…"

Sakura sobbed into her hands. There was no way she'd rather have Sasuke than Naruto, after what Sasuke did to Naruto. In her opinion, he was no longer a runaway friend, he was a terrible enemy.

----------------

Minato picked up the small fox in his arms, and smiling, gave him a big, wet hug. The small fox growled and launched himself out of Minato's grasp.

"What the hell was that for?" He yowled angrily at the boy, shaking hid head irritably. Minato gave him a mischievous smile,

"My, you picked up on the bad words quickly, Kyuubi." Kyuubi murmured something under his breath that made Minato's smile widen.

"I don't say them all that often!" Kyuubi fixed his cold gaze on him, watching Minato as he began to groom himself.

Minato looked around and took in the beauty of nature, the warm sun, the babbling brook, and the angry six-tails standing in front of him.

"What? I thought you just needed to cool off, your temper is quite hot. I thought some cold water from the stream would be a perfect remedy for you!" Minato ignored Kyuubi's rude response, and instead reflected on the past month's work. Ever since he had left the village, he had tried talking to Kyuubi. At first, he got the young animal saying basic things like "food", "water", and "danger", but Kyuubi had caught on so quickly, he had begun to teach him more elaborate things.

Kyuubi had already gotten two more tails since they had left the village, and Minato was proud at what he had been able to teach the young nine-tails. He had begun with small battles using kunai and shuriken against Kyuubi and had slowly upgraded to S-rank techniques, practicing both offense and defense.

Minato's smile and pride quickly disappeared as he thought back to the village. Now that he could talk to Kyuubi, he wanted to ask him a very important question, but Minato was almost too scared to ask it.

He stood several minutes without saying anything before clearing his throat and starting,

"Oi, K-Kyuubi-kun."

"What?" Kyuubi retorted, apparently still upset about the wet hug.

"Back when we first fought together… when I blacked out… what did you do…?"

Kyuubi cocked his head to the side, as if trying to remember what happened.

"Ah! You mean when you were injured?"

"Yeah."

"Well, let's see…"

---------------------

Kyuubi watched, astonished as his friend rushed around the clearing, executing every hidden ninja. However, he wondered why Minato hadn't attacked the ninja right in front of him, they would have been much easier to take out, they seemed younger and less experienced.

Minato jumped down into the clearing, smiling at the exposed ninja, and laughing softly. Then, he suddenly stopped, and Kyuubi watched as his face dropped, and he spun around to face another ninja who instantly embedded a poisoned blade in his stomach. Rage engulfed Kyuubi as he watched Minato fall to the ground, unconscious. What made him really angry, though, was that the enemy nin had been on Minato's side, cheering him on, but then the next minute, a foe.

Kyuubi ran over to Minato, checking the wounds, and realizing that if he didn't get help soon, he would surely die of the poisons. Infuriated, Kyuubi began sending his chakra into Minato's body. If Minato couldn't finish the battle on his own, Kyuubi thought, then he would have to do it for his friend.

Minato stood up, now a mere puppet to the demon. His eyes were a blank red, showing no emotion, and the ninjas seemed to realize this was not Minato's doing.

A certain kunoichi leaped over to Minato's body and looked worriedly at him,

"Minato-san, you've been injured with a poison blade, we need to bleed out the poison before it spreads too much." She took out a kunai, and Kyuubi, not understanding what she had said, used Minato's body to pull out his own kunai and lash out at her. She fell back, a large cut in her shoulder, fear in her eyes.

"M-Minato…" Minato turned and glared at the rest of the group, preparing his next attack, Kyuubi would not forgive these nin for hurting Minato…

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Inuluvr here!

I'm terribly sorry about all the difficulties chapters 7-9 may have caused some of you! I got a couple messages telling me that was not allowing you guys to see the newest chapters, so I e-mailed an administrator.

I hope this chapter won't be as much of a problem, please send me a message if it is, just so I know. XD So, how are you guys liking this story so far? Be honest:p

Ah! And I'd really like you all to thank AnimeOtaku31821, who has been a huge inspiration to me, and who has really helped me along the rougher parts of this story. Many glomps to you, AnimeOtaku31821!

Look forward to hearing from you guys, you're all so kind! Oh, and I'm sorry that I haven't been updating every night, I'm trying to finish Harry Potter, and I've got work on top of that. XD So much to do, so little time


	11. Eluding the Enemy

Eluding the Enemy

Naruto sat in Tsunade's office with several of the Konoha officials, all giving him hostile glares. They had been discussing the best way to deal with the villagers; several officials believed informing them about Gyakumodori would cause an angry up-rise against Naruto, while others argued keeping it secret would be unfair.

After several long hours of discussion, Tsunade rose to her feet.

"It's been decided… We will keep Gyakumodori a secret; the villagers will not know about Naruto. And you," She turned to Kyuubi, " You will have to respond to Naruto as if it was your own name, and act as him." There were several grunts of annoyance coming from some of the officials, but after they met Tsunade's eyes, they silenced themselves unhappily.

"Officials, I dismiss you; however, Naruto, I wish to speak to you- alone." They waited as the Konoha officials filed out of the room, returning to their daily tasks.

"Alright, Naruto, we need to discuss how to find Sasuke. I've been asking around, and he seems to have disappeared after he attacked you." Naruto blinked, concern clouding his face,

"But what about the real Naruto? Should we wait until he wakes to start searching?" Tsunade shook her head sadly,

"We're not even sure if he will wake up, as unfortunate as it would be, you may have to kill Sasuke without Naruto's knowing." Kyuubi nodded to show he understood, but did not respond. "Now… the main concern is finding Sasuke, it's not going to be easy since he is an S-rank ninja with incredible skills, but if we can find a lead-"

"And where do you suggest we find one of those?" Naruto interrupted, his patience was low after sitting, listening to the Konoha ninjas discuss the matters, addressing Naruto as if he were a monster. He was disgusted by their behavior, which worsened his mood, and lowered his tolerance. It also didn't help that his injuries were causing him a fair amount of pain.

Tsunade angrily glared at Naruto, her patience was running thin as well. They sat in silence for several minutes, when Shizune walked in with a tray of tea.

"Here! I've brought some tea if you want-" She stopped abruptly, realizing she had walked in at a tense moment, she weakly tried to excuse herself. "Oh, s-sorry! I'll just get going now-"

"No, Shizune, it's all right." Tsunade said, relaxing her muscles as she took a cup from Shizune's tray. She turned back to Naruto, who was still glaring defiantly over at her. "We'll discuss this tomorrow, I don't see a way to track him down, but I'll consent with some ANBU and see if we can get a lead on him."

Naruto stood up, and walked out of the room, muttering his farewells. Tsunade watched him go, and leaned back in her chair, sighing.

"I'm really beginning to miss Naruto…."

Outside, Naruto peered up at the stars, remembering the last time he had seen such a beautiful night. It had been the night of Yondaime's death.

The moon was full, brightly illuminating the village's paths, as Naruto trudged down the road. He stopped when he realized where his feet had taken him: the graveyard.

Naruto wove through several weathered stones, looking for one in stone in particular. As he searched, however, the moon's light began to fade, as dark billowing clouds filled the night sky. Intent on finding the grave, however, Naruto continued to look, even as a light rain began.

The light rain began to fall harder, soaking him, but at last, he found it: a very well-kept grave with many flowers sprouting around it. Naruto couldn't read what it said, but somehow… he just… knew it was Yondaime's.

He stood, in the pouring rain, head bent in mourning, angry at himself for killing a friend that had been so close to him. The rain, heavily coming down all around him, made him shiver, so he decided to head back to Naruto's apartment.

He began to walk, but stopped with a dread as he realized that he had no idea where Naruto's apartment was. And so, tired and cold, he took refuge under a large oak. The leaves provided some shelter, and for that, he was grateful. Deciding it would be best for him to try and sleep, he closed his eyes, letting the rain lull him into a deep sleep.

---------------

Kyuubi leaped down next to Minato and began to channeling his chakra into his companion, who, in turn, used the extra chakra to make a powerful sphere of swirling red and blue. Minato ran right into a tree, smashing it with the powerful chakra-sphere.

Minato staggered back and watched as the tree crashed down, moaning as it went. Smiling, he fell on his back, too exhausted to stay standing.

"W-we did it!" He closed his eyes and slept for a while, regaining his strength. Kyuubi laughed and sat himself by his friend, happy that they were finally able to accomplish the almost impossible feat of creating a rasengan with both of their chakra's mingling together.

Kyuubi's happiness began to fade, however, as a wind brushed by, leaving a chill in the air. Darkness engulfed the forest around him, and he recognized the familiar voice that he detested so much… the person he would seek and kill as soon as he could.

"He betrayed you! Are you going to let that brat get away with what he did to you? Let your hate overcome friendship, he was planning from the beginning to kill you.

Kill him."

"No!" Kyuubi roared, the familiar pain of betrayal overtaking his thoughts, as he was swallowed by blackness.

---------------

Naruto's eyes flicked open, he could feel his heart beating quickly as he stared into the darkness, something was moving. His eyes tried to find the person in the rain, but there was no one there.

A sudden voice from behind him made him jump,

"Kyu- I mean Naruto-kun what are you doing out here?" Sakura was kneeling beside him, looking questioningly at where he lay, leaning on the side of the tree. He smiled, trying not to act foolish,

"Heh, well, you see…wait, what are _you_ doing here?" Sakura stood up and stretched,

"Sometimes I just like to walk around, even if it is in the middle of a stormy night. But what about you?"

Naruto sighed,

"I have no idea where Naruto lives," He admitted. Sakura thought about it and smiled,

"If you'd like, I could show you!" She beckoned for Naruto to follow. He stood and began to follow, but suddenly stopped dead in his tracks, listening. Sakura noticed something was wrong and stopped, too.

As Naruto listened, he heard a slight noise behind the soft pattering of the rain. He drew out a kunai and watched as Sakura did the same. She nodded, showing that she had heard the noise as well.

Naruto leaped, grabbing the intruder and holding a kunai to his neck. As soon as he felt the cold metal against his throat, the intruder stopped struggling, but Naruto could feel his shoulders heaving. Naruto's stomach turned as he realized his prisoner was laughing.

"Don't lay a finger on him," a female voice came from the shadows, and a tall black-haired Kunoichi appeared, holding a kunai to Sakura's throat. Sakura struggled, but to no avail,

"Let- go- of me- Bitch!" The female nin's smile faded and she knocked Sakura in the head,

"Don't forget who the one with the kunai is," She said angrily, as Sakura glared up at her. "Now," She turned to Naruto, "Let go of him, and your little friend here won't get hurt." Naruto was about to let the male nin out of his grasp when Sakura yelled out,

"Naruto! Don't let him go! They're allies of Sasuke! They might know where he is!" At this, Naruto pulled the nin closer to him,

"Do you know where he is?" He asked, looking down at the nin stuck in his grasp.

"As if I'd tell the likes of you," Naruto pressed the knife closer to his throat, making the contact point red with irritation.

"Hey!" He heard the kunoichi yell, but he ignored her.

"Tell me!" He said angrily, pushing the knife closer, to the young nin's throat, drawing a little blood. "Tell me now, or die,"

"Naruto!" Sakura was looking at him with pure fear.

"Ok, ok!" He gasped, his fingers pressing against Naruto's arms. "Sasuke… we don't really know where he is… we were just…. spies… sent to see if you were still alive…"

"And how were you going to get this information to him?"

"We know he's going to come to the valley of the end… we just don't know when…" Naruto released his grip and watched as the nin staggered, holding his neck and throwing back angry looks. The black-haired kunoichi released Sakura, throwing her to the ground, before disappearing with the young male nin.

Naruto helped Sakura up, brushing the dirt off her outfit, but she recoiled from fear.

"Naruto! You-you drew blood from that ninja's throat! You were going to kill him!" He shrugged, unaffected by the accusation.

"Yeah? What of it? I got the information, and I didn't kill him, so where's the harm?" Sakura stood rigid from fear and anger. She had never seen Naruto so aggressive. Just the thought of him about to kill that nin ran through her mind, a broken record. She did not speak to him, but showed him the way back to Naruto's apartment, where he offered her to stay and have some warm tea. Too scared to stay, she declined and ran off into the darkness, leaving nothing but the soft patter of rain behind.

Naruto sat on the sill of his window, letting the rain hit him in that face. He liked it outside in the rain much better than in the stuffy apartment, but he knew that he would have to go inside soon.

He let his thoughts drift off to distant memories; it had been a long time since he had had the chance to be by himself to think. His thoughts drifted to Sakura and her reaction with how he had treated his prisoner.

_Hey, Kyuubi-kun, long time no talk._ Naruto's eyes widened in surprise and delight as he recognized the blonde's familiar voice.


	12. Shared Thoughts

Hey,

Again, this chapter will be difficult to follow, but just as a heads up, when I write things like, "Kyuubi turned around," and "Kyuubi walked over to the bed," I mean Kyuubi, but in Naruto's body. People will still refer to Kyuubi as Naruto since he's in control of Naruto's body, but it's still Kyuubi talking, unless, of course, it's in italics, that's the real Naruto. Also, when Kyuubi is talking to Naruto, he isn't really talking, He's communicating telepathically… in a way, but the point is people around him can't hear him. OO I hope you all can follow…

Shared Thoughts

Kyuubi jumped up with excitement, delighted to have his companion back. He heard the real Naruto laughing at him, and realized how much he truly had missed him.

_So, what's happened while I was out? Did you get a chance to tell Tsunade about our little problem?_

Kyuubi filled Naruto in with everything that he had discovered, from the scroll of Gyakumodori to the spy's attack earlier that evening. Naruto listened carefully, often making noises of understanding, as Kyuubi told his tale.

When Kyuubi was finished, Naruto did not make a sound, apparently deep in thought. When he finally did speak, the harshness in his voice surprised Kyuubi immensely.

_I refuse. I refuse to kill a friend, even if he was the one who killed me. It's against my way of the ninja, I don't just strike down everyone in my path, that role has already been filled too many times. I'd rather just die myself then kill an old friend. _

Kyuubi was expecting this remark, but he responded angrily. He was not going to let Naruto die in that way, not by the hands of that Uchiha brat.

"If you don't kill him, I will."

_I won't let you._

"I'll find a way." They stood in silence, their anger repelling each other from one another. After several tense moments, Kyuubi spoke, quietly but sternly,

"We'll discuss this tomorrow with Tsunade, but right now, I need sleep." Kyuubi walked over to the bed and sat down, relaxing his muscles. For several moments, he stared out the window, letting his thoughts fall back to memories from when he and Yondaime were young. But after remembering the chilling voice he had heard in his dream, he snapped back to the present.

Kyuubi lay down and closed his eyes, letting himself fall into a light sleep filled with dreams of the past.

--------------

Minato stood looking down at the village below. Everything was nostalgic; he had not been to the village for five years, and was now taking everything in. Kyuubi leaped up beside him on the tall cliff, sitting loyally next to his owner and friend.

Minato smiled as he watched Kyuubi stretch and yawn. They had had a rough journey and both were happy to have reached their destination.

"You think they'll remember us?" Minato looked down, surprised at Kyuubi's sudden question.

"Of course! How could they have forgotten us?" Kyuubi shifted his eyes away from Minato's to view the village below. Everything seemed so peaceful, but he wondered how people would react when they saw that Minato had brought him back. They probably wouldn't be happy, and the thought of having to deal with all of the villagers did not raise Kyuubi's spirit.

"Don't worry, Kyuubi, the villagers will learn to accept us as friends." Minato seemed to have read Kyuubi's thoughts, but even so, Kyuubi was anxious to return to the village. "Shall we?"

Kyuubi nodded and followed Minato as he jumped down from the cliff, and ran to the village entrance. Minato laughed heartily as the two village's guards gasped from amazement at seeing the two walking through the gates.

"M-Minato!"

"Could it really be you?!? It's so good to see you!"

Both the guards seemed to ignore Kyuubi as he followed Minato around, but Kyuubi was just as happy that way. With his six tails, he didn't want to alarm the villagers, so he looked up at Minato and excused himself.

"Kyuubi, I think you should stay, don't be shy!" The guards looked at the two as though they were mad.

"Y-you can speak it's language?!?" The first guard gasped in alarm.

"His language…? Oh, I must not have realized I was speaking it!" Minato smiled and ruffled his hair in the back of his head. "We've learned each other's language, so I'm not surprised!"

"You mean it can speak a human's language?"

"Just about as well as I can understand it, you dolt." The guard nearly fell over in surprise and fear, and Minato laughed,

"He's picked up quite well on the curses and rude names, unfortunately. Well, we have to go and speak with the second, it's been a while! So, we'll see you around, alright?"

Minato and Kyuubi trotted off down the path and suddenly, everything around them began to fade into nothingness. And that's when Kyuubi could hear that familiar voice again, the voice that drove him to rage.

"He's right here! Kill him now while you have the chance! There's no way he can escape you now, so kill him, and you will avenge all that you have lost!"

And then a weak voice broke in, one filled with pain and anguish. The voice seemed to plead with Kyuubi, begging him.

"Kyuubi, listen! You can't listen to what he's saying, he's lying! I promise I never did what he claims I did! Don't pay him any attention!"

Red splattered across the blackness, leaving the cold voice laughing in an evil way.

-----------------

Kyuubi sat up quickly in the bed, gasping in fear, and remembering his dream of memories. The sunshine shone through the open window, warming the covers on the bed. But even so, Kyuubi could not suppress a shiver. He closed his eyes, breathing hard as the memories came back to him.

He held his head, trying to stop his thoughts from spreading any farther into the past. It had been a very long time since he had been cursed with such dreams, and the suddenness of it all shocked him.

_W-what the hell was that?_

Kyuubi continued to sit in silence, still trying to calm himself. He felt fear like no other, having been brought back to his horrible past. Finally, he looked out the window and answered quietly,

"Forget you ever saw that, Naruto. You should never have seen or heard any of those things…"

_B-but that blood… whose was it? And the voices… one sounded really familiar, but the other I've never heard…_

"I told you! Forget about it!" Kyuubi's sudden harshness and anger worried Naruto, but he did not speak again. Kyuubi was definitely trying to hide something, and he was almost positive it had to do with his betrayal of Yondaime.

And that's when Naruto realized with horror that the pleading voice he heard, the voice that seemed filled with sorrow and pain, had been Yondaime's.

But he wondered, if that had been Yondaime's voice, whose blood had that been?


	13. Lurking Danger

Lurking Danger

Kyuubi yawned and stretched as he lazily swung his legs over the bed. The afternoon sun shone brightly, lighting up the little apartment, revealing the incredible mess of dirty laundry strewn across the room.

Looking around, Kyuubi was amazed he hadn't killed himself the night before, trying to get to the bed. The room was, by far, the dirtiest he'd seen in a long time. He picked his way through the room, careful not to step on any of the dishes that lay about, and made his way to the kitchen.

As Kyuubi began to rummage through Naruto's cabinets looking for food, he noticed that Naruto had not spoken for a while. Not since he had witnessed the dream Kyuubi had been cursed with the night before. The dream had woken him up in the morning, but being as lazy as he was, he went back to bed, and thankfully, that sleep was dreamless.

Suddenly, Kyuubi heard a faint yawn. He stood up, alarmed; he had not sensed anyone coming in. But he soon relaxed as he heard the familiar voice of his companion, who had, apparently, just woken up.

_Oi? What's going on?_ Kyuubi sighed and stood up, closing the cabinet door.

"Do you have anything other than ramen in this place?" A pause.

_Hmm… No I don't think so. Why, don't you like ramen?_ Kyuubi opened the fridge and frowned, the shelves were empty except for one that had a carton of milk in it. He took it out and was about to pour himself a drink, when he noticed the expiration date.

"Naruto, this milk went bad two weeks ago,"

Really? I didn't notice… I don't have very many chances to go to the market since I train so much, so I deal with what I have… though I must say, that milk has probable been the reason my stomach has been so sore lately…

Kyuubi shook his head at Naruto's oblivion, and dumped the milk out in the sink. Admitting defeat, he went over to the cupboard and pulled out an instant ramen cup and began to heat it up.

"There really is nothing to eat here, you should try food other than ramen…"

_But I love ramen!_

"Yes, but I won't be able to live off of ramen, I don't know about you, but I need variety in my food!" Kyuubi finished off the ramen and cleaned up the dishes, putting them back in the stack of clean bowls and plates.

"As unfortunate as it may be, Naruto, we have to go to Tsunade this evening, she requested that we speak with her. She'll be quite happy to know that you're awake!" Naruto responded quietly,

_I suppose she wants to discuss our plan to capture and kill Sasuke?_ Kyuubi did not answer him, but instead, changed the subject.

"Naruto, this place is an absolute disaster, I think we should clean it up." And so, the entirety of that afternoon was spent cleaning up Naruto's apartment. By evening, the floors were spotless, the kitchen was shining, and Kyuubi had fallen asleep on the bed, tired from all the hard work.

The doorbell rang and he jerked awake, wondering who on earth it could be at this hour. He groggily walked over to the door and opened it, only to get punched in the face.

"NARUTO! WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING! YOU PROMISED TO MEET TSUNADE AND HOUR AGO!" Kyuubi scrambled to his feet, dazed and confused, and not understanding what was happening. But as soon as he got to his feet, he was lifted in the air and thrown into a table, knocking all the weapons he had so carefully organized, to the floor.

Avoiding the falling kunai and shuriken, he staggered to his feet and tried to escape from the angry kunoichi, but found himself getting beaten up.

_GAH! KYUUBI RUN FOR IT! SAKURA'S NOT HAPPY!_

"DAMMIT, YOU'RE GONNA BE SORRY YOU EVER MESSED WITH TSUNADE!"

An hour later, Kyuubi, Tsunade, and Sakura sat in Tsunade's office. Kyuubi, who had been beaten to a pulp by Sakura, had a black eye, and was now missing a tooth.

When Sakura had dragged him into Tsunade's office, Tsunade had merely laughed, and told Sakura she had gone overboard. But Sakura, angry at having to have waited so long, was still not completely sure justice had been served.

"Naruto, Sakura! You two will complete this mission together. I know that the real Naruto is not happy, but even Sakura agrees, Sasuke must be stopped." Sakura looked at Kyuubi, who, too afraid to return her gaze, looked at Tsunade.

"According to Sakura, you both were being followed by two of Sasuke's followers, Suigetsu and Karin, right?" Both Kyuubi and Sakura nodded, remembering how the nins had revealed a small part of Sasuke's whereabouts.

"I know they said he would be in the Valley of the End, but I'm afraid that might be a trap. However, I have been able to get information that Sasuke is trying to make a trade with Akatsuki. We are not sure exactly how it will work, but we think he's planning to help the Akatsuki in return for being able to fight Itachi once and for all."

_No way…_ Kyuubi and Sakura exchanged worried glances, and they both knew they were thinking the same thing. What if Sasuke was going to try to take Naruto to the Akatsuki in exchange for a fight with his brother?

Kyuubi looked out the window, at a loss for words. Was Sasuke really planning to use his old friend as bait? If so, where was he, and what was he doing…?

--------------

Two shadowy figures slid behind tall rocks, picking their way quietly through the rock covered ground, whispering harshly at one another. The first voice, a female's was angrily replying to everything the second said.

"What? Why do you care if I like him, it's not like you'd have a chance with me anyway!" The first figure jumped across a small gap and continued down the winding path.

"It's not that, it's just that… well, you seem to really like him, and I want to know why!" The second voice belonged to a male, who was taller and more clumsy than the first.

"Keh, Suigetsu, I like Sasuke because he's strong and so cool. He's so unlike you, who has no style or strength. I mean, you can barely lift your sword!" Suigetsu remained silent as he thought for a moment,

"Well, I just want you to know that Sasuke's a cold hearted fool, and will never like anyone. I mean, that Sakura girl obviously liked him as much as you do now, and look at what he did to her, cast her off like a piece of trash. I just don't want him to do that to you, Karin!" Karin stopped abruptly and turned back towards Suigetsu, who almost ran into her, but was able to stop just in time.

"Are you saying that Sasuke thinks nothing of me?!? Don't you even THINK that Sasuke doesn't care! You know he likes me, you're just jeal-"

Karin froze as she heard the cold voice behind her, and began to blush as she realized he had listened to everything she had said. Sasuke didn't seem to take notice of Karin's discomfort, and looked both of them up and down. His eyes stopped at Suigetsu's throat, which had a light scar etched into his skin.

"Run into trouble?" Sasuke asked cooly, showing that he truly took no interest in what he had asked.

"Yeah, that little yellow-haired punk took a kunai to my throat,"

"So he truly is still living?" Sasuke let no emotion escape as Suigetsu nodded, and frowned.

"Do you really want to trade him to the Akatsuki just for revenge? I mean, he _was_ a friend…"

"Shut up, Suigetsu, before I cut your tongue out. I've no interest in friends, and he never was one, just a nuisance. I don't really care what becomes of him."

Karin who had remained silent all this time, shaded her eyes, realizing the truth in Suigetsu's words. Sasuke had no interest in relationships, and there was little to no chance that she ever would be able to get his full attention. But even so, she felt that it would at least be worth it trying to get his attention, even if she knew it would never work out.

"Suigetsu," Sasuke turned to him, a questioning look on his face, "You said Naruto was the one who held the kunai up to your throat?" Suigetsu nodded, confused at the odd question.

"Is something wrong, Sasuke-kun? Karin asked, concerned by his sudden inquiry.

"No… it's nothing." He said, before brushing past them, "Let's go, we need to head out,"

But as Karin and Suigetsu followed Sasuke out of the Valley of the End, Karin noticed that there was something bothering Sasuke. And indeed, she was right.

Sasuke looked ahead as they ran through the forest, not really seeing the trees, but instead remembering the last time he and Naruto had met. And his thoughts drifted to what Suigetsu had said. The Naruto he had known wouldn't have held a kunai to Suigetsu's throat. He'd have tried to beat the hell out of him, yes, but Naruto was never one to hold a knife to a ninja's throat. No, Naruto believed in honor too much for that. But if that wasn't Naruto… was it an imposter?

-------------------

Inuluvr here!

Hey, all. First off, I want to start by again, thanking AnimeOtaku31821. AnimeOtaku-san's been a great influence and had helped me out a lot, and I want to thank you for that!

Second of all, I'm sorry for the delay for posting this chapter, I've had second thoughts about continuing this story or not, but a couple of my friends, including my beta, have really helped inspire me:D Yes, I had writer's block, but thanks to all of your wonderful comments, I've been able to finish this chapter! XD Thanks so much for all the support, and I look forward to your other comments!

Inuluvr


	14. The Death Sentence

The Death Sentence

Sasuke leaped down from a treetop, landing lightly on the ground. It had been a while since he had last stepped foot on Konoha's territory, but this meeting was necessary. He bent down and scooped water from the stream, letting the cold water soother his parched throat.

A sudden noise of leaves rustling caught his attention, and he stood up to greet the approaching ninja.

"Show yourself, or I'll kill you on the spot." A joking voice replied, taunting him.

"Heh, so, here's one of the three survivors of the Uchiha clan." A tall ninja stepped out from behind a tree. His face was covered by a straw hat, and the rest of his body was covered by a black cloak, decorated by swirling red clouds.

"Three? I think you're mistaken, there are only two left." Sasuke's voice was cold and strong. He did not wish to let the Akatsuki overpower him. Even though they would be his key to revenge, he wanted it to be known that he would not let them establish authority over him.

"You know so little, un." The Akatsuki member removed his hat from his head, revealing his blonde hair. He smiled, his blue eyes flashing with excitement, "So, you're Itachi-sempai's little brother," His smile widened. "I expected much more than a little brat, un. The name's Deidara."

Sasuke glared angrily at the Akatsuki member, and softly replied, trying to contain the harshness in his voice.

"Uchiha Sasuke." He said shortly, "You know my brother?" He questioned.

"Of course, un! He was my partner when I started training for the Akatsuki. But that's besides the point. We have a matter at hand that needs discussing, un. Now tell me, how soon can you get the Jinchuuriki?"

Sasuke's voice cut through the forest, scattering birds everywhere, "I could get him tonight if you'd like," Deidara smiled wickedly.

"Tonight is too soon, Itachi is too far away, but if you wish, tomorrow would be the perfect death sentence for your little friend,"

"He's not my friend," Sasuke said curtly turning away and facing the forest beyond. "Now tell me, you said you want him living?" Deidara's smile vanished.

"Yes, he has to be alive, otherwise the deal is off. I sent your friend, Juugo, to fetch Itachi from his hideout. It seems you'll finally have a chance to avenge your family. But I doubt you'll be able to do it, your chakra levels are pathetic compared to his. And you don't even have the mangekyo sha-"

"Shut up." Sasuke stood, holding a kunai to Deidara's neck. Deidara's smile returned and he began to laugh. Sasuke ran his kunai across flesh, slitting Deidara's throat, who burst into millions of crows, cawing and flapping their wings. Black feathers floated down in the clearing, leaving nothing of the Akatsuki member. Sasuke held out his hand and let a feather land softly on his palm, before throwing it to the ground and crushing it with his foot.

"Itachi, I will kill you." Sasuke said before turning and disappearing, leaving nothing but the crushed black feather behind.

--------------------------

Kyuubi stretched his arms, walking down Konoha's main street, Sakura by his side. They had been summoned again by Tsunade to talk about the plan to get Sasuke, and Kyuubi, worried about Sakura's temper, had gotten up extra early. He was glad that he had, too, because Sakura had arrived an hour earlier than he had expected, asking to go out and shop. Kyuubi, deciding it would be good to get out, agreed, and they had been walking down the streets for about an hour.

After the hour of shopping, they agreed to head to Tsunade's office as planned, and set off in that direction. They walked in silence for several minutes, but Sakura soon broke it.

"Naruto-kun… I have a question…" Kyuubi turned, surprised.

"Yeah, what's wrong, Sakura?"

"If- what would happen if you died, too?" She asked quietly, worry filled her eyes, and Kyuubi looked away, knowing all too well what would happen.

"Don't think about that, Sakura," And she did not respond, knowing why Kyuubi didn't respond. They reached Tsunade's office and opened the door, and walked in, the mood heavily dampened by the thought.

"Now listen, Kakashi will be helping you along the way, and he'll send me updates every day, but I can't promise he'll always be able to get to you in time. You need to take extra caution." Tsunade lowered her voice, "Listen closely, Naruto. I have several ANBU members looking after the Akatsuki. They went out last night and found that one of the Akatsuki members met with Sasuke last night. They plan to take you tonight. Sasuke will not be able to kill you, which will make it difficult for him… but I have no idea what he's capable of."

Kyuubi stood silent, not knowing what to say. He shaded his eyes, and avoided contact with Sakura's.

_Sounds like we've got a shot to get him back to the village, and if we can, then we won't have to kill him. We could find some other way to get us back to normal, I'm sure it wouldn't be difficult._ Kyuubi could tell just by his tone of voice, that if he could, he would be smiling.

"No… I know it's hard for you… but.. Naruto, he has to die." Kyuubi sighed, knowing that he and Naruto would not be on speaking terms if they had to continue this discussion.

_You'll be able to beat Sasuke, though, and bring him back to the village! You're strong enough to!_

Kyuubi shook his head,

"Naruto-kun, I can't use my power. When we used Gyakumodori, it took away my power. It's still sealed, even though my spirit isn't." Naruto did not respond, and so Kyuubi turned his attention to Tsunade and Sakura.

Sakura sat, tears brimming in her eyes.

"Naruto-kun…" Kyuubi stood up and walked out. He didn't wish to discuss this any further, he needed to get out of the room. Kyuubi ran out of the building, slamming the door behind him.

He noticed as he continued down the path, he was being followed. And so, he turned just in time to see Sakura run right into him.

"Naruto-kun! We have to stick together, the Akatsuki is on the move!" Kyuubi's eyes narrowed, "Tsunade's ANBU members just came," she explained breathlessly, "Naruto-kun, Sasuke is coming to capture you, and he's almost here!"

-------------------------------

Hey all, sorry about the shorter chapter with no Yondie flashbacks… I'm running out of time.. it's **–**looks at clock- 2:20 AM, and I've got to get up at 10. XD;; Ah, well. I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and I _promise_ something exciting will happen in the next, in fact, the plot will be sped forward in the next chapter, so get ready, and hold onto your seats!

Inuluvr


	15. Fight To The Death

Fight to the Death

Kyuubi ran to Naruto's apartment and threw open the door, breathing hard. He had to find his weapons- and fast. If Sasuke was coming to capture him, Kyuubi wanted to make sure that he would put up a good fight.

After being informed of Sasuke's planned arrival, Naruto had quickly gone back to Tsunade's office to find out more about the sudden news. When he had gotten back, he had walked in mid-conversation between an ANBU and Tsunade, so he stood against the wall, listening to their discussion.

"-and I won't allow you to let him die." Tsunade's voice was raised with anger, and stress filled her voice.

"Kyuubi spared no lives, and so Kyuubi's life shouldn't be spared. If he stays in the village, many people will be injured, whereas if we just give him to the Uchiha, he wouldn't be a problem any more."

"We're not just discussing Kyuubi's life! Naruto is still alive, and if Kyuubi dies, he dies, too!" She slammed her hand down on the table, "How dare you dishonor Naruto like that. He's a person, not just a container!"

"Well, I don't wish to protect him, and I've spoken with many of the others. They all agree that they won't protect Naruto. The ANBU all believe Naruto would be better dead. All Jinchuuriki deserve to be locked up and-"

"Shut the hell up before I use Rasengan on you," Kyuubi stepped out from his hiding place, infuriated by the ANBU's words. The ANBU turned coldly and disappeared in a puff of smoke, leaving Kyuubi and Tsunade alone.

"Naruto… I-I'm so sorry, he doesn't know what he's saying… it's just-"

"Forget it." Kyuubi said curtly, "Just tell me about Sasuke's arrival." Tsunade closed her eyes and recalled the message the ANBU had passed on.

"When you left, an ANBU member, Shi, we'll call him, came and alerted me about Sasuke's whereabouts. Shi spied on Sasuke and another Akatsuki member, Deidara, with another ANBU member, Tsu, will be his name. Shi reported Sasuke and Deidara have made plans, as we feared, that Sasuke will come and capture you, in exchange for a fair fight with Itachi. Unfortunately, Tsu, who had been keeping an eye on Sasuke, was killed by one of Sasuke's companions, so we don't have the full story on Sasuke, but we do know that he's very close to the village."

Kyuubi nodded, understanding that he had little time to prepare for the big fight coming up.

_We need to hurry, Kyuubi! Since we only have a little time, we need to get back to my house and gather some weapons. If you can't use chakra, we'll have to use items instead. You just have to make sure you don't seriously injure him._

"Naruto-kun, you aren't still planning on trying to get Sasuke to come back, are you?" Naruto ignored Kyuubi's question, and continued about the weapons. And so, here Kyuubi was, rummaging through Naruto's closet, under Naruto's orders, searching for the best items for the upcoming battle.

Kyuubi jumped when he heard a slight hiss from behind him,

"Naruto-kun! We should go to the village gates so we don't involve any of the villagers. The last thing Konoha needs is casualties. Also, I think it would be best if team seven deals with it's former member."

Kyuubi nodded and gathered his weapons together, readying himself for the fight. They rushed out of the apartment, and pushed through the crowds of people, ignoring the hellos from friends on their way, intent on reaching the gates as soon as possible.

Konoha's entrance seemed to tower over them as they drew nearer, and when they finally reached the gates, they noticed a cold chill in the air. Tension filled the atmosphere as Sakura and Kyuubi caught their breath, leaning on the opened doors.

Then, they both froze in their spots, barely breathing, as the air around grew dense and began to push down on them. They realized, with a start, that the terrible feeling was a sense of an incredibly powerful chakra.

Kyuubi and Sakura watched intently as Sasuke emerged from the surrounding forest, sword drawn, and ready for a fight.

"Sasuke…" Kyuubi and Sakura said in unison as he met with their eyes, wind whipping around them, scattering the leaves.

"Naruto… come peacefully, and Sakura will be spared." Naruto turned to Sakura, surprised by his threat. That's when he saw Sakura walking slowly towards Sasuke, he eyes blank. Realizing she was under his sharingan power, Naruto ran up behind her, holding her back as best as he could, trying to keep her from going to Sasuke. However, the effort was in vain, for Sakura's physical power was greater than his, and he did not wish to hurt her.

She stood unnaturally still as four snakes came up from the ground and wrapped around her, holding her to the spot. One snake was poised, ready to strike at her neck.

"No! Don't hurt her!" Naruto stepped forward, and the snake drew its head back even further, hissing as if to warn him not to get any closer.

_Damn it, Kyuubi! Get Sakura back, I will never forgive you if you let her die! She's a friend, and I don't want her to get hurt!_

Kyuubi cursed, unsure of what to do, but then a sudden thought popped into his head. If Sasuke summoned snakes, why shouldn't he summon?

Kyuubi bit his finger and forced his finger into the dirt, watching as it created a puff of smoke. Excited at his first summon in this body, he watched eagerly as the smoke dispersed. A small orange toad looked up at him, a questioning look on his face.

"What the- Naruto! Long time no see!" Gamakichi looked up and smiled at Kyuubi, who was distraught. He thought Naruto could summon Gamabunta, not his little son. Then Gamakichi looked up at him angrily,

"Y-you're not Naruto! You're an imposter, you're Ky-" Kyuubi quickly covered Gamakichi's mouth.

_Well, that was really nice, Kyuubi. Gamakichi? Even I could do better!_

"Shut up Naruto, why don't you try and unlock my power? If you could do that, it would be much easier for me!"

Sasuke was looking curiously at Kyuubi now, partially amused by his summon's betrayal and angry that he was fighting an imposter.

"If you're an imposter, where's Naruto? I have no interest in fighting a mere ANBU. I need that jinchuuriki." Kyuubi turned to Sasuke, deciding to take a chance and tell Sasuke who he really was.

"Keh, well, if you have to know, I'm not Naruto, no. But he's with me. Naruto and I are basically one in a body."

Sasuke narrowed his eyes and looked at the snake, who had loosened its grip on Sakura. As soon as it met with his eyes, it tightened its grip on Sakura, who began to stir, shaking her head to clear her thoughts.

"If that's so, I'm sure you're truly Kyuubi. But it matters not, the Akatsuki will get your limp body, and they can deal with what's happened to you. Now I'll say this once more, give in now, or Sakura will die."

_Quickly! Try and attack him!_

Kyuubi leaped over to where Sasuke stood, and threw kunai at him, but Sasuke dodged it and threw him over his shoulder. Kyuubi, thrown into a tree, landed on his feet and launched himself at Sasuke who met Kyuubi's kunai with his sword. They stood in a deadlock, and Sasuke smiled wickedly.

"Wrong move," He said cooly. And he motioned to the snake, which struck at Sakura's neck, just as she woke up. Her eyes widened with surprise for a mere second before closing again as her body went limp.

"SAKURA!" Kyuubi watched as the snakes melted back into the ground and as Sakura's listless body hit the ground. Fury rose in his insides, and he felt his body go numb as a red chakra engulfed him.

_K-kyuubi… what's… happenning…?_ Naruto's voice sounded strangled, but Kyuubi ignored it.

"DAMN YOU!" Kyuubi pushed with incredible power against Sasuke's sword, throwing him slightly off balance.

Taking the split second of Sasuke's weakness, Kyuubi lunged a small dagger into Sasuke's arm. Sasuke, surprised, yelled out and pushed Kyuubi away from him, staggering back and watching through his sharingan eyes as Kyuubi fell, doubled over in pain as a blood red chakra engulfed him.

Naruto's body rapidly began transforming, his skin becoming a blood red, while his four tails whipped around furiously. Then, a small Kyuubi stood before Sasuke, eight tails lashing menacingly.

Kyuubi began to attack, rapidly running towards Sasuke, his claws drawing blood from the deep scars he landed in the flesh of his enemy. Sasuke, unable to do anything to protect himself other than putting his arms in front of his face.

When Kyuubi was thrown off, Sasuke staggered and stood up, heavily covered in deep wounds. Kyuubi's ferocity began to die down, and Sasuke noticed that Naruto's body was becoming greatly weak. Kyuubi coughed up blood, and realized with a pang of terror, that Naruto's body was not strong enough to endure the powerful chakra.

Sasuke lifted up his sword and plunged it deeply into Kyuubi's stomach and smiled, as he watched Kyuubi fall, unconscious onto the ground. He knew he had won, and Sasuke fell next to Naruto, breathing heavily.

----------------------------

When Sasuke awoke again, he found Karin's concerned face peering into his, very close to his face. He sighed and looked over at the two figures tied to a tree, their injuries still fresh.

"Sasuke-kun! You've got the jinchuuriki!" Karin smiled, "Now you can restore your clan! After you've killed your brother, I think you should bring back the clan. Get a cute girlfriend, I'm sure you could find someone around here…" Karin blushed and laughed sheepishly.

Suigetsu grunted, showing his disgust, and walked over to Kyuubi and Sakura.

"What're you going to do with the girl?" Suigetsu inquired, noting with pleasure the look on Karin's face.

"I'll just give her to the Akatsuki, maybe Sasori can use her as part of his puppet…"

Suigetsu looked down at Sakura,

"She's not dead, you know," Sasuke sighed and nodded,

"I know, but I can't let her go, now that she's seen my level of fighting. Plus, why let a witness escape?" Sasuke winced as the wound in his arm prickled. It almost felt as though there was poison, but he knew that was impossible. Naruto hadn't been using weapons, so he couldn't have been using poison. But his thoughts drifted to the red chakra of Kyuubi. Maybe the chakra of the demon was like a poison… But he did not dwell on those thoughts.

Sasuke closed his eyes and announced his plan,

"Tomorrow, we leave as soon as we can. I don't know how long Naruto will be out, and I would like to not have to fight him again." Karin and Suigetsu nodded, and watched as he fell asleep, slowly but steadily recovering from the wounds.

------------------------

Hey,

The Maroon Ninja Studio, please don't hurt me or Kyuubi-san, hurt Sasuke, he deserves it:D Lol, I'm just kidding. I hope you all like this chapter, kinda bloody and there's a lot of fighting, sorry about that. Actually, this is the first time I've ever written out a battle, so I'm open for suggestions:D

All of you should still be thanking AnimeOtaku31821, she's been helping a lot with plot, grammar, and such. XD

Inuluvr


	16. Familiar Faces

Familiar faces

Sasuke walked through the moonlit forest, watching the tree's leaves dance in the wind. He sat down on a rock and looked up at the stars, impatient for the Akatsuki member to arrive. He glanced down at the unconscious ninjas laying beside him and frowned, thinking back to the fight he had to go through. His injuries weren't quite healed yet, although they were less painful.

He narrowed his eyes in thought, knowing Kyuubi's power had greatly weakened him; he realized he would have to wait awhile before fighting Itachi. Not only that, but he'd have to explain all this to that obnoxious Akatsuki member, Deidara.

Sasuke looked over as he heard a rustling noise in the bushes, and knowing it was Deidara, stood to greet the Akatsuki member. He wanted to make this meeting as quick as possible.

Deidara leaped down from a branch and smiled, seeing the unconscious figure Sasuke had dragged behind him.

"Wow! You're a lot stronger than expected, un! Nobody in the Akatsuki had been able to capture him, and here you did it in one night, on your first try!" He frowned, then, seeing how heavily injured Sasuke was, "But I can see he didn't go without a fight. In fact, you look in too bad of shape to fight Itachi-sempai right now…un."

"I'd like to talk to you about that… I need a few days of recovery before I can fight him, Naruto was able-"

"Say no more. I'm actually relieved, un! Itachi-sempai couldn't make it tonight. He was slowed down by the weather and-" Deidara sighed, noticing Sasuke's expression. It was clear he didn't want to talk, he just wanted to make the trade and get it all over with. "Alright. I'll send you a message to let you know when Itachi will be available for fighting. Now as for the jinchuuriki…."

Deidara thrust his hand into a pocket of clay, and after a few moments, a large clay bird appeared in a cloud of smoke before him. The bird grabbed Naruto's limp body and fastened him safely in its tail feathers.

Deidara hopped up onto the bird's back and smiled, happy that the plan had worked out so well.

"Wait, before you leave." Deidara frowned and watched as Sasuke retrieved another body from behind the rock. "Take her, too. If anything, Sasori will be able to use her body for his puppet." Deidara's puzzled expression revealed that he wasn't sure what to do with the girl.

"She's still alive?" He asked as Sasuke handed Sakura to him. "I'm surprised, you left her living, even though she's an ally of that jinchuuriki."

Sasuke merely frowned and turned, disappearing in a quick puff of smoke.

"Jerk," Deidara said angrily. He sighed and steered his bird high into he sky, flying quietly through the night towards the hideout, which was a long trip away. His laugh echoed in the night, proving the victory of the Akatsuki.

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Tsunade sat down, feeling faint and sick. Both Naruto and Sakura… gone. She had just been informed by a villager, who had witnessed the fight, of their fates. Sakura… dead, and Naruto… on his way to be killed by the Akatsuki.

She sat in her office, Shizune sobbing by her side, and Tsunade herself feeling tears sting her eyes. Shizune saw Tsunade's tears and cried harder, she had not let up crying since the ANBU had come and informed them of the village's losses.

Tsunade met with Jiraiya's eye as she looked up, feeling a soft hand on her shoulder. She stood up and revealed Naruto's and Sakura's fate to him, watching Jiraiya's face fall, mourning the death of his student. She leaned against him and began to cry, letting him soothe her sorrow.

"Naruto… Damn it, why…?" Jiraiya held Tsunade close as she let her sorrow escape. It was obvious to him that she had been trying to be professional until now, and needed to cry it all out. "Don't worry, Tsunade, I'll avenge Naruto and Sakura, no matter what."

Jiraiya tore himself away from Tsunade after claming her down, and summoned Kakashi. Kakashi, who arrived in his ANBU outfit, vowed to bring Naruto and Sakura back alive, swearing if he didn't, he'd never forgive himself.

"Don't worry, we'll bring them back, and the Akatsuki will pay for what they've done. Even if I die trying, I'll take down every one of the Akatsuki, that's a promise." Jiraiya agreed, and both he and Kakashi headed off with Pakkun, tracking Naruto and Sakura's scent.

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Kyuubi opened his eyes and dazedly looked around, too weak to move. His vision was blurred from pain, and all he could see was a barred and locked entrance, surrounded by cold stone walls. He watched a cloaked figure glide across the floor in front of him, and stop as the Akatsuki member realized he was awake.

A blonde haired Akatsuki member squatted down beside him, smiling wickedly.

"Heh, don't worry, it'll all be over soon. In a while you won't feel any pain at all… But we have to gather the yonbi, gobi, rokubi, nanatsubi, and the hachibi." He counted them off with his fingers, "Then we can extract the Kyuubi from you." He stood up. "But until then, you will stay in this cell. And don't worry, your little girlfriend will live until we kill you. We'll make sure she has a front view of your death," He laughed and left, closing and locking the door behind him.

Kyuubi's muscles relaxed now that he knew Sakura was not dead. A sudden pain shot through his chest and he coughed, blood dripping from his wounds. He knew he wouldn't have a chance escaping in this condition. He closed his eyes, resting his body. Using his chakra in Naruto's body had truly weakened it, and he knew if he ever used it again, it would kill both him and Naruto.

He opened his eyes as he heard the creaking of the door opening. A masked Akatsuki member stepped in, closing the door silently behind him. The mysterious Akatsuki walked over to Kyuubi and took Kyuubi's head in his hand, Examining him carefully.

"Who…. Who are you…?" The masked Akatsuki asked, intrigued. "You're so familiar… We've met before somewhere, I'm sure of it…"

"Who….are…you?" Kyuubi managed to choke out. The Akatsuki bowed his head in shame.

"I-I don't know." Kyuubi narrowed his eyes, wondering what the Akatsuki was after, and why he was interrogating Naruto. "But you seem… so familiar, almost as though I've met you in a past life."

Kyuubi looked away, and winced, as he felt another sharp pain in his chest. He coughed again, more blood dripping from his mouth. The masked Akatsuki sat for a moment, his expression covered, but then whispered guiltily,

"Here, this'll help a little, just don't tell Deidara-sempai!" He raised a hand to Kyuubi's chest, who relaxed as the soothing healing chakra cooled the hot pain from his wounds.

"W-Why are… you helping me….?" Kyuubi asked, still weak, even with the help. The masked Akatsuki sighed and looked up at his face.

"I think we were friends… you just seem so familiar, as if you're an old forgotten friend." Kyuubi Looked at him, grateful of his help, but still puzzled by his betrayal of the Akatsuki. "Hey," The mysterious boy continued, "Do you know Kakashi?"

Kyuubi did not know what to say, he still wasn't sure if he could trust this Akatsuki member, and he didn't want to give him any information if he was in the Akatsuki.

"I know him, yes, but I won't tell you anything about him, he's a friend of mne, and I refuse to betray him."

"No! But I need to know about him, I'm a friend of his!"

"But… what is your name?" Kyuubi asked, wondering if he might know the face hiding behind the mask. He didn't want to give any information to an enemy that was pretending to be an ally.

" I don't know my real name… but Deidara-sempai calls me Tobi." Kyuubi thought back, wondering who this could've been.

"If you don't know your own name, how did you come to join the Akatsuki?" Kyuubi asked, wondering how he had gotten into such a powerful organization.

"Hee, well, to tell the truth…. I'm not in the Akatsuki yet, though as soon as someone is defeated, I'll join." Kyuubi narrowed his eyes,

"If you want to be in the Akatsuki so badly, why would you help me, and betray the Akatsuki? It just doesn't add up." Tobi sighed and settled himself into a comfortable position.

"Well, you see, I don't want to join the Akatsuki because I want power, I want to join so I can be with Deidara-sempai." Tobi seemed to think that was enough explanation, but as soon as he saw Kyuubi'' confused expression, he continued. "I guess it won't make any sense unless you hear the story from the beginning."

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Deidara shaded his eyes from the bright sun as he trudged down the mountainous path, carrying a heavy sack of clay on his back. He sighed as he looked down the path, seeing nothing but more mountains and rocky cliffs ahead.

"Where's the village?" he moaned to himself. The heat was beginning to annoy him, and as he continued, he found a small mountain spring winding through the dry landscape, and decided to stop for a quick break.

He laid his sack of clay on the ground and retrieved a small bottle of water from his belt, filling it up in the small stream. The sun's hot rays beamed down on him, and he lay back, cooling his feet in the stream's water. As Deidara leaned back on a particularly large boulder, he noticed something odd about the rocks, they were positioned as though they had fallen in a landslide.

Deidara stood up and began to circle the rocks, examining them closely, for signs of possible battle. The only time there were landslides here was if there was a battle that disrupted the rock's positions, making them unstable. He continued down the path, searching for something, but what , he was unsure of.

Deidara then stopped dead in his tracks as his hand slid across one rock which was covered in a sticky substance. Blood. He quickly searched around the rock, only to find an old kunai that lay on that ground. He picked it up and turned it around in his hand, examining an etched word in the weapon. It seemed to be a name, but it was too faded to make out the word.

As Deidara examined it, he could only decipher a T, an O, a B, and an I, but not exactly in that order. He looked at the rock and froze as he saw a cracked pair of goggles laying on the ground next to a bit of exposed cloth.

He quickly rushed to lift the rock off the victim of the rockslide, and he gasped as he saw a small black haired boy laying beneath the rocks. The boy was around the same age as him, about 15, and as Deidara looked, it seemed as though his eye had been gauged out.

The boy moaned softly, and winced as Deidara picked him up carefully, determined to help the unfortunate boy. As Deidara left the stream, heading for the hidden village of the rock- his hometown, he noticed the boy's headband. Konoha. He needed to get the boy to the village for medical help, but they wouldn't heal a boy from the enemy village in the war. He cursed and stuffed the Konoha headband in his pocket, deciding to hide it and claim he had found the boy without one.

"Hang in there, Tobi. I promise, I'll get you back to the village!"

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Inuluvr here!

Don't worry, Tobi's flashback will continue in the next installment of Reversal, so stay tuned:D

So, I just read this wonderful fanfiction, it is beautifully written, and even though there's only one chapter, I really want you all to go and read it now…. or Naruto gets it! -looks at Maroon Ninja Studio- XD No, no I'm just joking. But I would like you to read it!

The story's called "Nighttime Love", and it's written by a good friend of mine, AnimeOtaku31821. :D

Inuluvr


	17. Twisted Fates

Twisted Fates

Deidara stood up and backed away from his work of art, looking at it proudly. It was a sculpture of a small fox with two tails, a beast his father had claimed to see when he was just a boy. That had been one of his favorite stories his father had told him, his fight in a war between the rock village and Konoha.

Deidara's father had always told him about how the young Yondaime himself, known as the Yellow Flash back then, had shown up and won a battle that had shown to be a turning point in the war. Many times Deidara had just laughed at him, not believing in such a powerful beast, but now, in his wiser years, he wondered if his father had been telling the truth.

Deidara ran his hand over the sculpture, smoothing down the rougher edges. It had been two years since his father had passed on, and one year since his father's dojo had closed. His father had kept many of the younger ninjas busy in that dojo, almost like a summer ninja academy. After his father's death, however, the dojo was boarded up, and he and Tobi had been forced out of it, onto the streets.

Deidara turned and smiled as he saw his comrade run into the room, his arms full of new clay for Deidara's sculpture. Tobi scurried across the wooden floor and tripped as he accidentally stepped on his cloak, spilling the lumps of clay everywhere. Deidara frowned and walked over to his friend.

"You alright?"

"I'm sorry Deidara-sempai!" Tobi looked up at Deidara guiltily through his one eye, and to Deidara's displeasure, he could see Tobi's eye brimming with tears. "Hey, hey! Don't worry about it, un! It's alright, there's no need to cry!" He smiled, and helped Tobi up. "There you go, now help me pick up this mess, un." Tobi nodded sheepishly, wiping the tears from his one eye.

Tobi had made a complete recovery from the rock-slide except for three small problems: His eye had been completely removed, so they merely put a patch over it, so it wouldn't scare the other villagers. His head had been heavily injured, and so his mentality was that of an eleven-year-old's sometimes younger, and he constantly referred to himself as a "good boy," even though he was almost twenty now. The most serious problem, however, was that he didn't remember anything of his past.

After almost eight years, all he could remember from his time in Konoha was a person named Kakashi. But he didn't even remember Kakashi, it was merely a name Deidara had heard him mumble in the two weeks of his unconsciousness after the rock-slide.

Tobi's gleeful laugh brought Deidara back to the present, retrieving him from the past and interrupting his thoughts.

"Deidara-sempai! It's such a cute fox!" He smiled up at Deidara, his uncovered eye full of excitement. "Are you going to keep him?" Deidara smiled and stood up, his arms full of a good number of the clay chunks Tobi had carelessly dropped on the ground.

"No, I'm hoping to sell him, it'll hopefully bring enough money for us to actually buy our food instead of stealing it."

Tobi frowned, and pet it, looking longingly at it.

"You have such a talent, Deidara-sempai, you deserve a lot more than what we have!" Deidara smiled sadly, dropping the clay onto a sculpting table beside the fox statue.

Tobi and Deidara had become close and were like brothers to one another, always helping each other. When Deidara had first discovered Tobi, he and his father took care of him, as he was unconscious for almost two weeks and needed constant medical attention. But when Tobi woke, he helped with the dojo, keeping Deidara company all the while, for being boys of the same age, they liked to go on adventures together. But when Deidara's father passed away and the dojo closed, they were forced to find refuge in an abandoned temple, and could only afford to steal just enough food to eat.

Deidara had continuously tried to sell enough sculptures to get enough food for the two of them, but he hadn't been able to. Many of the villagers distrusted Tobi and refused to buy anything from anyone that had anything to do with him.

Deidara sighed and picked up the fox, carefully placing it beside one of his most recent creations, a clay figure of a spider, small enough to fit in one's palm. Tobi had always liked the spiders and other bugs that he had created, but Deidara kept the boy away from them as much as possible, for Tobi didn't know his true intent for creating the bugs.

The bugs were a special creation Deidara had created at first for protection to himself and Tobi. Deidara's father had been a top-rank ANBU, who had been able to keep the villagers from trying to scare Tobi out of the village, but after his death, Tobi and Deidara were left unprotected and vulnerable. The first two nights after his death were ok, but the third had scared Deidara into making the special sculptures.

That night, Tobi had gone to bed earlier than usual, tired from a full day's work in the dojo, and Deidara had been left to his own thoughts. He sat drinking his green tea, letting it soothe his throat, everything was normal as usual, crickets chirped loudly in the muggy evening and the occasional owl could be heard in the distance. But then, the front door to the dojo was burst open, and Deidara, surprised by the suddenness of the intrusion, fell back, spilling his tea over the floor.

He scrambled to his feet, kunai in hand, and stood facing the intruders. The first to step in was a woman ANBU with a cat mask on, followed by a male ANBU with a fox mask covering his face.

"Where's the boy?" Asked the man gruffly to Deidara, who was now fully ready to attack.  
"What business do you have with Tobi?" The ANBU members appeared irritated with the question and did not answer. The first member stepped menacingly towards Deidara, but the second stopped her, putting his hand out.

"We don't want to kill two," He said calmly, then turned to Deidara. "Now tell us, where is he?" Deidara laughed,

"You think I'll just let you barge in and hurt Tobi, well you're out of luck!" Deidara ran forward and began to fight with them. Kunai were thrown all over, shattering clay figures all over the room.

After much fighting, the two ANBU members retreated out the door, heavily injured.

"You won't get away with this, kid. Tobi isn't of this village, we know. He's a traitor, and his time will come." With that, the ANBU disappeared out the door, leaving Deidara breathing heavily in the broken down room. He collapsed onto the floor, having used too much chakra. He coughed and smiled.

"You can come out now, Tobi. They won't be coming back for a while." For a moment, nothing stirred, but then, Tobi crept over to Deidara.

"Deidara-sempai! Y-you've been hurt really badly!" Deidara sat up.

"No, I'm alright, I just need to rest." Tobi helped Deidara to a chair and looked worriedly at his friend.

"Deidara-sempai…. I'm sorry to have caused you all this trouble… I've been thinking, maybe… maybe I should leave, find out where I originally came from… I could start a new life there I'm sure-"

"Tobi, I'm not going to kick you out, you're a good friend," Deidara smiled as he saw Tobi's face relax.

"T-thank you sempai..."

And after that night, Deidara learned to create clay creatures that blew up on command- a useful tool. Since then, he had been practicing with them on many of the ANBU stations nearby, much to the disapproval of the Hokage. But he didn't care, the village had betrayed him, and so he would do whatever he could to discourage the village of ever doing anything that could harm Tobi or him.

Deidara shook his head, returning to the present again.

"Oi, Tobi, why don't you go and get some more of the cleaned clay from the back, I'll make you a sculpture if you'd like, now that I'm done with the fox." Tobi nodded and ran off into the other room, excited he was going to be able to keep something that Deidara made.

Tobi ran to the back room, excitedly gathering clay for Deidara. His mind raced wildly, what would he have Deidara make? He always really liked cats, or maybe a dog… He headed back, hands full of clay, but stopped dead in his tracks as he heard

Deidara talking in a low voice.

Tobi crept to the doorway, keeping hidden, but listened closely. Deidara seemed to be talking to three people- all men. But who? As Tobi listened more carefully, he could only hear Deidara.

"Akatsuki you say?"

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Kyuubi shifted uncomfortably as Tobi stood up, his injuries still stinging a little bit.

"So… Deidara just left you?" Tobi sighed and looked down at Kyuubi.

"Not quite, Itachi dragged him off, but he didn't want me to be in any danger, so he didn't mention me." Kyuubi nodded in understanding. "Well, Naruto-kun… what can you tell me about Kakashi? I'd really like to know more about my past…"

Kyuubi looked at Tobi, wondering if he should be able to trust the Akatsuki-to-be, or if he was just trying to set him up.

"I'll tell you about Kakashi if you show me your true face." Tobi stood, motionless and silent. For several moments, Kyuubi was sure he was going to leave without a word, but then he spoke.

"You'll see my face in good time, but for right now, I need to get out of here." And within a blink on an eye, Tobi disappeared in a puff of smoke.

_K-Kyuubi, what's going on?_ Kyuubi jumped, surprised. He had almost forgotten about Naruto.

"Naruto! Are you alright?" Naruto coughed before answering.

_Yeah, but- where are we? Did you actually get captured by the Akatsuki? And what about Sakura? Is she alright? I won't ever forgive you if she's hurt!_

Kyuubi laughed,

"Naruto-kun, calm down, calm down! Yeah, we've been captured, and Sakura's ok as far as I know, I haven't seen her, but the Akatsuki member mentioned that she's alive- and that's all that matters at this point. I have a feeling, though, that breaking out of this place may be easier than I could've hoped."

_Are you crazy? There are about ten of them and two- no one of us. Escape is not going to be easy. _

"No," Kyuubi said softly, "There are three of us. I just had a very interesting conversation with an Akatsuki, and I believe I may know his true identity, even if he doesn't."

--------------------------------------

Hey all

**-**sigh- I'm sorry about the delay and short chapter! I'm sick. My throat is really hurting, and I can't concentrate all that well. Forgive me if this chapter isn't as good as usual, but I am trying! Lol, let's just hope I don't have strep my last week of freedom.

Anyways, I hope you enjoy this chapter! Let me know what you think!

Inuluvr


	18. An Old Ally

An Old Ally

_You know him?_ Naruto's surprised voice echoed in Kyuubi's head, who began to turn his thoughts to his memories with Yondaime.

"Well, I'm not sure… but he reminds me of an old Konoha ninja, one who met his fate far too early in his life. He was a student of your father, and a teammate of Kakashi. His name was Uchiha Obito."

_U-Uchiha?!? You mean-_

"Yeah, seems as though there are three Uchiha survivors, rather than two. But I wonder, does Itachi know this secret? Surely he would have killed off Obito as well, if he knew he was an Uchiha."

_Well, didn't the Akatsuki member tell you his name?_ Kyuubi closed his eyes.

"No, he claims he's forgotten his past, and his face was covered so I couldn't recognize his appearance. All the more reason to suspect him of being Obito."

Why would he cover his face? Is he afraid Itachi will kill him if he's recognized as an Uchiha?

"No, no. I suppose Kakashi never told you about how he got that Sharingan of his?" Kyuubi could hear a small gasp escape Naruto.

_You mean…_

"Yeah, Obito was the one who gave Kakashi his eye." Kyuubi reminisced, explaining the events leading up to the tragic "death" of Obito, how Obito had been crushed beneath rocks, and how Kakashi received his eye. "I had been with the fourth the entire time, and hearing that Obito died was hard on him. But now that I've talked to that mysterious Akatsuki member, it's made me realize something. Obito could've very easily survived that rockslide."

Naruto listened intently, taking in everything with the utmost curiosity. When Kyuubi finished summarizing his thoughts, Naruto remained quiet, too deep in thought to respond immediately.

_If what you say is true… if Obito really did survive- if Tobi really was Obito… can we trust him?_

Kyuubi bowed his head, for he was still unable to answer the question for himself. He wanted to trust Tobi, trust that it truly was Obito, but that trust would be a very dangerous gamble that could put not only his life- but Kakashi's life at stake.

"I don't know… There is too much doubt to know, right now." Kyuubi watched as a shadowy figure appeared in the cell's doorway. He could not see which Akatsuki member it was, but it was obvious he was holding something. Something that looked eerily close to a human body.

The unknown member walked into the room without saying a word, and threw the listless body onto the floor. The body lay at Kyuubi's feet, but he dared not move until the Akatsuki member was out of the room.

The shady figure began to exit the room, but then stopped and turned, revealing his identity. Uchiha Itachi. Kyuubi felt every muscle in his body tense up as he locked gazes with the Uchiha. A wave of terror overcame Kyuubi as Itachi's eyes, a blood red in color, seemed to pierce his thoughts. Just as suddenly as he had come, however, he turned, tearing his eyes away from the jinchuuriki's, who sat frozen in fear.

Kyuubi's injuries began to fill with pain, as if a poison had just been injected. He gasped for air, and glanced helplessly around the room for any relief, but none came. The only other thing in the room was the body. But whose body was it? His vision blurred as the pain overtook his senses, numbing his body. He felt a cold surround him and let the darkness of sleep engulf him. But the sleep was not peaceful; it was filled with nightmares of the past.

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A cold breeze swept across the night air as Kyuubi wove through the tall, wispy grass, his belly brushing the ground. He had been sent to listen in on a very important meeting between two S-rank ninjas and needed good cover. There had been news of the ninjas having secret conferences recently, which made the villages anxious, for nobody knew what they were plotting.

Many people had rumored that the two x-ninjas were planning on creating an organization of all the most powerful ninjas. The villages had sent numerous people to spy on them, but to no avail, for none returned.

The first ninja was an x-ninja from the village of rain, whose name was Pein. He was known to have incredible powers, and had been expelled from the village for use of forbidden techniques.

The second ninja, was a ninja of whom nobody knew. The only information they had on her was that she had blue hair, with a large white rose placed artistically on her head. Since nobody knew her origins, let alone her name, everyone called her "Blue Hair," since that was her most prominent feature.

Kyuubi had been told to hide within the demon's forest, where they were rumored to be meeting this night. He settled down in the tall grass, good cover for him while he waited for the two ninja, and watched for signs of life.

When he had first come to the demon forest, he could sense something was wrong, but it took him a while to realize what- there were no chirps of birds in the trees, no scampering squirrels through the leaves.

However, as he continued through the silent forest, he found that it was not only noise that was absent, but life forms themselves. Being an animal that had originated in a forest, he had the ability to sense other creatures around him- an ability that could be both helpful and deceiving.

But here, he felt no other life forms, no animals moving about, and that feeling made him uncomfortable even to the point of fear. Not once in his life had he encountered such a dead forest. Even burned forests had a rabbit or two hopping around, or a couple of birds singing a song.

Kyuubi froze as an incredible power crashed over him, a chakra so strong that it crushed him. He had never felt anything like it before, so Kyuubi was overtaken with surprise and amazement.

A second chakra appeared, not as powerful as the first, but a more delicate feeling. The chakra was not as overpowering as the first, but still very strong. As Kyuubi concentrated, however, he soon realized that the delicacy was merely a mask to a chakra even more powerful than the first.

Kyuubi crept towards the two chakras, now swirling around one another, seeming to recognize each other. Kyuubi could see a lady dressed in a heavy black cloak gliding across the forest floor. Her long blue hair was pulled into a bun on the top of her head, and a white rose complimented her ice cold eyes. Her stern expression softened when she saw another cloaked figure appear from behind a tree.

"It's been a while, Pein." Blue Hair walked silently over to him and laughed, pulling the hood off of his head, and lightly kissing him on the cheek. His black bangs fell into his face, covering his green eyes.

Worry creased his face, and he pushed her away from him, it was obvious something was bothering him.

"This is no time, we have a matter to discuss." Kyuubi perked his ears and listened carefully. "I've spoken with Itachi, he says he'll help us, but on one condition. We have to get rid of _them_." Blue Hair frowned.

"He's worried about them interfering?"

"Precisely. Without Itachi, we won't be able to do very much, let alone capture the bijuus." Blue Hair nodded, and turned to face the tall grass where Kyuubi lay.

"I'll deal with this bijuu. No doubt with him under our control, we can break him and Namikaze-sama apart. Maybe we'll even be able to kill one of them."

Kyuubi froze as a smile slipped across Blue Hair's face, and growled as he saw her take a step toward him. He leaped out of the way as Blue Hair ran at him, her sword drawn.

Blue Hair smiled and bit her lip, letting blood drip onto her forefinger. She thrust her hand onto the ground, laughing evilly as the seal crept across the earth. In a sudden puff of smoke, a pearly white dragon appeared, its leering eyes focused on Kyuubi.

It's glazed eyes stared blankly at Kyuubi, who stood frozen to the spot, heart thumping in his chest. Kyuubi tried to urge himself to move, but found his body bound by fear, and as he looked down, ice was beginning to form on his paws, slowly creeping up his legs. He let out a low growl, the only thing he was capable of doing.

Blue Hair smiled, and stepped forward, petting Kyuubi's ruffled fur. He shivered as he felt her icy fingers run through his fur and glared at her as she knelt in front of him.

"Don't worry, Kyuubi. This'll only hurt for a minute." She smiled wickedly, and Kyuubi watched helplessly in horror, as her hand reached to his head. Through his blurred vision, he saw her take a blue jewel and place it against his head.

A freezing sensation overtook Kyuubi, and he looked weakly around, feeling a numbing cold shoot through his head. Kyuubi coughed, choking as the ice reached around his throat. Everything began to darken and he collapsed to the ground.

-----------------------

Kyuubi gasped, the sensation of the strangling ice around his neck lingering. He wearily looked around, freezing as he saw the body laying on the floor. He scrambled over to the listless ninja and gasped in fear as he recognized the face of his comrade, Sakura. He looked at the closed door of the cell and froze as he heard a chilling voice.

"You've remembered something, haven't you? Now you know what you're up against."

Kyuubi was suddenly looking into the eye of Itachi, who, as Kyuubi now realized, had used the sharingan on him. Itachi briefly glanced back at the jinchuuriki, and left the cell, closing the door softly behind him.

_What the hell?_

"I don't know, Naruto, but it seems Itachi knows our secret. Not only that, but he's just helped us a lot. I'm beginning to wonder if we might have another of the Akatsuki on our side."

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:D

Another Chapter finished! I hope you all enjoy! Let me know what you think, ok?

Inuluvr


	19. Sealed Memories

Sealed Memories

_Itachi? You think _Itachi _is on our side? Have you lost your mind? _

_There's no way he could be on our side! Why would he help us, he's got no reaso-_

Kyuubi shushed Naruto and looked at the body that lay on the floor.

"Naruto, we've got more pressing matters to attend to. We need to figure out who the body belongs to." Naruto was silent for a moment, but then answered weakly.

_I-I thought… it was Sakura's body… _

"No, Naruto. Don't you see? We were under Itachi's genjutsu, so we truly have no idea whose body it is!"

_I hope… I hope it's not Sakura… Please, look at the body…_

Kyuubi winced as he tried to move, and felt dread overcome him as he realized the Akatsuki had assured that he could not escape.

"Naruto. I can't move."

_What?_

"I can't move. They've put a seal on me…" Kyuubi closed his eyes and concentrated. He could sense a seal on the door that had a constant flow of chakra seeping into it. "A seal that's stealing my chakra. I've barely got enough chakra to stay alive."

_No way…_

"Naruto, at this rate, unless we get some help, we're going to die here." He sighed and weakly laughed. "Looks like our only chance of survival is through Tobi. Let's just hope he's on our side.."

_Kyuubi…_

"Yeah, Naruto?"

_Who were those two people you spied on, and what did that female nin place into your head?_ Kyuubi didn't respond immediately.

"Naruto… I suppose this is the time to tell you a little more about Yondaime's past, as well as mine. Those two ninjas are the leaders of the Akatsuki, and they were the ones who pitted Yondaime and I against one another."

_H-how did they do that? _Naruto sounded exasperated, as though the news had been a powerful blow.

"Naruto, I want you to listen closely, for this is something I've been able to piece together. You see, the vision you saw of me spying on the two ninjas was a memory I had forgotten. A memory, Blue Hair, as we call her, sealed away, so that I would not be aware of the jewel she had placed in my head. You see, as she sealed the crystal in my head, she was able to control some of my thoughts, and tell me lies I slowly but surely began to believe. I'll tell you how it began…"

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Kyuubi opened his eyes, and jumped up, startled as a cold hand reached down to his forehead. Kakashi looked curiously down at him, laughing at the surprised expression on his face.

"How're you feeling, Kyuubi-kun?" Kakashi pulled his hand away from Kyuubi's head and dipped it in a bucket of water.

"I'm feeling ok, where are we?" He sniffed the air, which was unfamiliar to him.

"You don't know where we are? We're in the demon forest, you've been gone from Konoha for almost a week now." Kakashi smiled, "Minato-sensei was worried sick about you! I've never seen him so distressed before!"

Kyuubi laughed, knowing Minato had probably called on every ANBU to help him search. He turned, sitting down in the long grass, trying to remember what had happened.

"So, did you get any good information?" Kakashi inquired, looking up at Kyuubi curiously.

"Well, it seems that Blue Hair and Pein are planning to create an organization. And we'll need to keep an eye on Itachi- Wait, why am I telling you this?" Kyuubi laughed as Kakashi's face fell. "Sorry, Kakashi-san, but this is top-secret business and I really shouldn't tell you, at least, not without Minato-sensei's consent."

Kyuubi looked out into the forest and shivered as a sudden cold wind blew past him, rustling the leaves of the trees. He suddenly froze, hearing an ice cold voice in the wind.

"Minato, that fool. Kyuubi, don't trust him, he's done nothing for you. He's the one that killed your pack! He's betrayed you!"

Kyuubi stared wildly around, looking for the source of the cold voice. He felt cold ice on his head and collapsed onto the ground. Kakashi rushed over to him and knelt beside him, worry creasing his face.

"Kyuubi! You've got a weird mark on your head, let me take a look at it." As Kakashi reached forward, Kyuubi felt ice pierce his thoughts, and before he knew what was happening, he tasted blood in his mouth. A yell echoed in the air as Kakashi withdrew his hand, covered in blood and shaking from shock.

"K-Kyuubi!" He gasped as he scrambled back. "W-What's wrong with you?!?" He stared wildly in fear at Kyuubi, who now circled him like prey, his normally red eyes a glowing, icy blue. Kyuubi leaped at Kakashi, claws out and mouth open, ready to bite into raw flesh.

A sudden flash blinded Kakashi, and threw Kyuubi back onto the ground, snarling with fury. Kakashi peeked out of his eye and saw a chilling site. Kyuubi lay on his back, growling and roaring, as Minato wrestled him, a kunai withdrawn.

For several moments, they were a blur thrashing around on the ground, but they soon settled, Minato injured with scratches and bite marks covering his body, Kyuubi with heavy gashes from the kunai matting his fur with blood. Minato was holding Kyuubi down with all his force, but Kyuubi managed to push him off, too strong for Minato.

They both scrambled to their feet, breathing heavily, and Kakashi watched in amazement, as the two friends stared at one another. Then, after several tense moments, Kyuubi stiffened, and then collapsed onto the ground, apparently too weak to support himself.

Minato knelt down, resting, and wiped some of the blood off of his face.

"You alright, Kakashi?" Kakashi, too stunned to answer with words, nodded. He had almost forgotten about his bite mark, and winced as it stung him. "Let me see it, I need to make sure you're alright." Minato tried to stand, but fell, too weak from the injuries to move.

"Minato-sama!" Kakashi rushed to his side and helped Minato to his feet, leading him to their camp site. He then cautiously bound Kyuubi, and gave Minato some health pills Rin had supplied them for the journey.

Rin had wanted to come, but she had been forced to stay in the village, for a sickness had been going around the village, and every healing ninja was needed. She had supplied Minato and Kakashi with some quick-healing pills for the journey, in case of an emergency, and Kakashi was thankful.

When Minato felt fully rested, he limped over to Kyuubi, who lay unconscious on the ground, and knelt beside his old friend. Kakashi could see that he felt betrayed, and a terrible sadness swam in his eyes as he petted Kyuubi.

"Kyuubi, why? After making me worry so much… you suddenly attack me as if you don't recognize me…? After all these years together, I'd have thought you'd always remember me…" Minato sighed and stood up. "Kakashi… watch over him. If he wakes, call me with the summoning technique I taught you." He spoke distantly, walked slowly through the tall grass.

The sun was setting, and clouds were beginning to fill the sky. Kakashi looked up as rain began to patter down into the forest, chilling the air. Kakashi closed his eyes and turned his face to the sky, letting the rain hit him hard. It felt almost as though… as though the skies were crying.

Crying about a friendship that would never be the same again; a friendship that would end in a terrible tragedy.

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Another short chapter. Sorry about that… Anyways… Almost 20 chapters, and I've gotten 15,000+ views on this chapter. I really want to thank you all… so here's a picture to make you giggle until I can get a thank you picture posted.

http://www.inuluvr. hope you like it! Thank you all so much!!!!! You're all the awesomeness:D

Inuluvr

P.S. If the link doesn't work, just go to my homepage and look at the picture entitled "Deidara sleep :3"


	20. An Attempt At Escape

An Attempt at Escape

Kyuubi shifted uncomfortably, the only movement allowed with his limited amount of chakra.

_So… you and my father were… betrayed by one another?_

Kyuubi, too weak to respond, merely closed his eyes, his body heavy to the point of exhaustion. He could feel his energy draining, which meant he only had a little time before his chakra ran out.

_Kyuubi… Are you ok?_ Again, Kyuubi did not respond immediately, but instead relaxed, letting his tired muscles rest.

"Naruto…" He said weakly, it was difficult for him to choke out the words. "Naruto, listen… If I die, you need to… try and keep your soul in… this body for as long… as possible…" Kyuubi gasped for air, his chakra was almost all gone, and speaking was beginning to take an enormous amount of energy. "If you don't… there won't be any chance… of your survival…"

_Kyuubi!_ Naruto's call echoed in Kyuubi's mind as his vision slowly blurred, and the world spun to the ground. Darkness engulfed him, leaving him to an abyss of nothingness.

Was this it, he wondered. Was this how it would end for him and Naruto?

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Naruto's eyes opened, watching as blurs of trees flew past him. He felt as though he were flying, and as he slowly regained consciousness, he realized he was flying… On a giant bird that seemed to be made of clay. A familiar voice made him turn his head slightly, as much as he could with the lack of chakra.

"You're lucky we got to you in time, another minute, and you'd have been dead, un." The voice moved closer to him, and suddenly a smiling face appeared before Naruto's body. "So, tell me… you're Kyuubi, right?"

"Y-yeah… how did you know that?" The blonde laughed lightly, and sighed.

"Just a feeling, un. The jinchuuriki I know wouldn't hold a knife to another nin's throat, un." Naruto's eyes widened.

"H-How did you know?!?" Kyuubi tried to sit up, but found himself too weak to even move his arms.

"Hey, hey… Don't try to move, your chakra is too low. If you push yourself, you'll pass out again, un. News travels fast, doesn't it, un."

"Why would an Akatsuki member such as yourself care about a jinchuuriki like me?" Kyuubi was nervous, this Akatsuki member had shown no problem shoving victory in his face when he was incapable of doing anything to stop it. He wasn't sure why such an arrogant person would help him.

"Two reasons… First-" A third voice broke into the conversation, interrupting Deidara's sentence.

"Naruto-kun! You're ok!" Deidara sighed and looked irritably over at Tobi, who waved happily.

"He's the first reason… and the second reason is because you need to save your village, un."

Panic overtook Kyuubi's thoughts. He had thought Konoha would be safe, now that he had been taken by the Akatsuki, but it seemed that he had been wrong.

"Save my village? What do you mean?!?" Deidara looked solemnly down at Kyuubi again.   
"I don't know why exactly, but there's been talk of war between Konoha and the Sound Village… Dunno why, though, un. From what I've heard, ever since he killed Orochimaru, your friend Sasuke has been trying to rip apart Konoha to find something… Something that has to do with his clan, un. Although, I have to say, I think Itachi will be able to kick his ass. Sasuke's strong, but not as strong as Itachi-sempai, un."

Kyuubi did not respond, but again attempted to sit up. He managed to lift himself halfway up, and from there, Deidara helped him.

"There's no rush, the war won't start for a while… Ah! There's no need to worry about your ally… Sakura was it? She's ok, her injuries were fairly deep, but nothing some rest can do, un." Deidara turned to Tobi, "Speaking of which, we should find some shelter, we need to rest, and who knows how much more time we'll have before the Akatsuki begin to track us, un."

Deidara stood up and veered the giant bird towards the ground, the wind whistling beneath the large bird's wings. The bird landed softly, pumping its wings as it lightly touched the ground.

Deidara jumped down from the bird's back and examined the forest surrounding them.

"Seems like this place is good enough, un. Tobi, you go get some fire wood, and I'll get the two kids settled." He turned to Kyuubi. "How're you feeling, un?" Kyuubi nodded, his head pounding.

"I could be better, but I can't complain." Deidara helped Kyuubi down from the bird, and carried Sakura off. Naruto looked at Sakura with worry, her limp form had two distinct holes in her neck, each given to her by the snake's long fangs. It was a wonder she had survived.

After Deidara had set up the camp, he sent the giant clay bird off, and several moments later, there was a loud bang off in the distance. Naruto looked up at him curiously, he had so many questions to ask this mysterious Akatsuki member.

"Kyuubi, there're a couple questions I'd like to ask before Tobi comes back…" Kyuubi, surprised, nodded. "Well, first off… I'd like to ask, do you know Tobi? You seem to know him, but for some reason you've bitten your tongue, un." Kyuubi looked away from Deidara.

"Yeah… I think I do…" Deidara sighed.

"I suppose he'll want to go back to his original village… I never told him that he was from Konoha… I wonder how he'll take it, un?"

"Wait, you never told him?"

"Nope, I didn't want him to say anything by accident, you see, the earth village isn't very kind to outsiders... but I couldn't leave him, un! He was too young to die, and even though he was from an enemy village…" Kyuubi had ignored Deidara, pondering Tobi, and burst in mid-sentence.

"Tobi knows he's from Konoha!" Deidara looked at him, a look of surprise across his face.

"That's impossible, I never told him," Deidara laughed. "Unless, of course, he remembered something of his past… But as far as I know, he only remembers the name 'Kakashi', un."

"Well, he asked if I knew a Kakashi, so I'm guessing he's figured out he's from Konoha…" Deidara sighed.

"I suppose he'd figure out his origins eventually… I hope he doesn't hate me for not telling him, un." Kyuubi laughed.

"Actually, he didn't seem upset at all, in fact, he seemed to look up to you… you two seem to go fairly far back…" Kyuubi coughed, his body heavy with fatigue.

"Oi, oi! Take it easy, we don't want you to get sick, on top of being weak at the moment, un. Here comes Tobi, anyway." A fraction of a second after Deidara had spoken, Tobi came tumbling out of the bushes, wood flying everywhere.

Deidara shielded his eyes, embarrassed by Tobi's lack of grace. Tobi stood up laughing, and brushed himself off, beginning to pick up the sticks that had fallen from his arms.

After the fire was lit and crackling, Kyuubi laid down, happy to have time to relax. He looked up at the stars through the leaves of the trees, listening to Deidaara and Tobi talk. It seemed to him as though Deidara got quite irritated with his partner, but Tobi was oblivious. He laughed to himself, and let exhaustion overcome him, falling into a deep sleep.

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Hey guys!

This chapter took FOREVER, I'm so sorry! ee School has been taking a lot out of me. D: I hope you enjoy! I don't know how often I'll be able to update, but we'll see!

All comments, faves, and alerts are appreciated! 3

Inuluvr


	21. BitterSweet Memories

Bitter-Sweet memories

Kyuubi opened his eyes, a cold breeze combing through his hair. It was still dark, but he felt restless, and to his surprise, he found himself able to stand. He walked carefully around the dying fire and stepped out from behind a tree, into a field bathing in moonlight. The sight was almost eerie; everything was quiet, and another breeze rippled through the tall grasses.

He walked into the middle of the field and looked up at the moon, which cast long shadows beneath him. A sudden sadness filled him as he realized where he was- the battlefield where he and Yondaime had fought, right before he was sealed, and Yondaime was killed.

He fell to his knees and let tears drip to the ground below. He had never wanted it to happen this way, he wanted to go back and stop himself before he killed Yondaime, but he knew it was impossible. He hung his head, and leaned back, now kneeling in the tall grass. He turned as another cold breeze blew past, and he saw movement in the corner of his eye.

"It's alright, Kyuubi. You're doing what I asked of you, and all that really matters is that Naruto stays alive." Yondaime turned and smiled sadly at his old friend.

"Minato… I hate myself for what I did, how I wish I could go back…"

"But that's just the way life is, isn't it?" Kyuubi turned to Yondaime, surprised. "It's just that you have to accept that life doesn't always give you what you want… And Kyuubi, I've told you before, it's not your fault. It's Blue Hair's." Yondaime watched as the sun began to rise above the grasses, and stood up. "Tell Naruto I told him to keep safe." He stepped forward, and his image joined with another, one of a young woman with bright red hair and beautiful blue eyes. She smiled, hugging him tightly, and then they both disappeared into the morning mist.

"Minato… Kushina…." Kyuubi watched sadly as his friends disappeared into nothingness. A sudden noise of something hitting the ground brought him back to his senses, and he stood to investigate. As he examined the location of the noise, he spotted a small object barely exposed from the dirt. He picked it up, brushing it off, and realized it was something he thought had been lost. It was Yondaime's lucky kunai, the one Kushina had given him as a present before he had gone off to battle.

He held it up and jumped as a small slip of paper fell from its handle. Kyuubi opened it and read the note.

_Minato,_

_I wish you luck on this battle, and will eagerly await your return. Naruto has done nothing but cry since you left, I think he misses you! So you come back safe, and I promise you, we will avenge Kyuubi. I know it's hard for you, but you need to realize that he's no longer himself; you've got no choice._

_Pein and-_

The next paragraph was covered in blood, the ink smeared to illegibility. Kyuubi skipped down to the next paragraph, eyes prickling with fresh tears.

_Anyway, I love you lots, and I will watch for you everyday until you return._

_Love,_

_Kushina_

As Kyuubi read the note, he felt another wave of sadness crash over him. When Kushina had found out her loved one had died, she died shortly after. Many had said it was from heartbreak, and Kyuubi believed that. She grew ill shortly after Minato passed on, and died for unknown causes.

_Kyuubi… Was Kushina…_

"Yeah, Naruto, she was your mother." Silence followed, Kyuubi wondered if Naruto remembered anything about her.

Kyuubi jumped in the air as he felt someone behind him lightly touch his shoulder. Laughter followed, and Kyuubi turned, still shaking from the surprise, Tobi stood, doubled over in laughter.

"T-The look on your face…" He choked out between bursts of laughter, "It was priceless!" Kyuubi glared at Tobi as he laughed.

"That wasn't funny, Tobi." Kyuubi scowled, and turned back to the sun, which was almost completely above the horizon.

"Anyway," Tobi giggled, "It's time to go, we've got to get started soon." The joking in his voice died away and he turned to Kyuubi. "I'm excited about seeing Konoha and meeting Kakashi! I wonder if he'll remember me?!?" He jumped in excitement, letting out a high squeal.

Kyuubi was now definitely sure Tobi was Obito. Obito had had the same kind of humor, and laughed at almost anything.

"Hey, Tobi?" Tobi giggled.

"Yeah, Mr. Scared-y pants?"

"Let me see your face." Tobi suddenly froze, and Kyuubi could sense hesitation when he spoke.

"I…." He paused for a quick second, "I suppose… I should fulfil my promise…." He reached a hand up to his mask, and began to untie the bands in the back. The orange mask fell forward, but Tobi kept it up for a second more. Then, in one swift movement, he pulled the orange mask away from his face and revealed his true identity.

"Just as I suspected," whispered Kyuubi.

Tobi's face was that of a young man, around Kakashi's age. His face was scarred on one side, the result of the landslide that had crushed him. On the other side, his eye was patched, but a long scar could be seen creeping out from under the bandages. His black eye returned Kyuubi's gaze, questioningly.

"You know who I am?" Tobi asked lightly, his eye filled with excitement. "I figured that even if you had know me at one point, you wouldn't recognize me, because according to Deidara, I got these scars in the rockslide he found me in."

Kyuubi nodded, but did not respond, for he was looking at two figures in the distance. He squinted, watching as the two dots began to form into separate people. He laughed as he realized the two dots were Kakashi and Jiraiya, running towards them as quickly as possible.

His smile faded, quickly, however, as he saw Kakashi was beginning to form Chidori, which meant only one thing- they were going to attack Tobi.

"Shit!" Kyuubi grabbed Tobi's shirt sleeve and pulled him behind. "Stay here. I'll need to calm them down…" Tobi watched in surprise as Kyuubi ran out towards them, a kunai in his hand.

"Hey! It's ok, I'm alright!" Kyuubi ran at them, Yondaime's lucky kunai in his hand. He kept running at them and slowed down as they drew near. "Kakashi-san, Jiraiya-sama, I'm so glad to see you both!" He called excitedly to them, but they kept running at him.

Kyuubi stopped, they were about to run into him, but they kept coming, passing him. "Wai-" Kyuubi was cut off as Jiraiya punched him in the stomach, knocking him out instantly. Jiraiya stopped, holding Naruto's unconscious body, slinging it over his shoulder.

"Sorry, Kyuubi, but it's for your own good."

Kakashi, however, kept running at the Akatsuki member. The Akatsuki member had been facing the opposite way, but turned as Kakashi drew near. And Kakashi stopped dead in his tracks, frozen by amazement. Standing right before him stood his teammate he thought he had lost forever, the teammate that he thought had died because of his terrible leadership.

Obito returned his surprised gaze and spoke softly.

"K-Kakashi?"

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Another chapter done! 3 I was inspired after seeing this (Why? I have no clue):

type in: www. youtube. com/watch?vOa14bmTrFsk (I'd provide a link, but it seems as though when I attempt to do that, it doesn't work.

All comments, alerts, and faves appreciated!


	22. Unlikely Allies

Unlikely Allies

"O-Obito…" Kakashi continued to stand frozen to his spot, his heart thumping. He then shook his head, it couldn't be Obito, he had died… Kakashi shot Tobi a defiant glare. "How DARE you impersonate Obito?!?" His Chidori, which had subsided, let out a loud shriek and intensified as Kakashi's fury grew. "NEVER DISGRACE OBITO!" Kakashi's rage drove his fist through flesh, Chidori screeching as it ripped through.

Kakashi looked up at who he had hit and froze. He had impaled an Akatsuki member, but it had not been the one he had anticipated. He withdrew his hand, covered in blood, and watched as the second Akatsuki member stumbled back into the first's arms.

"D-Deidara-sempai!" Tobi caught Deidara as he fell back, and laid him down. He quickly began to heal as best as he could, but he only had very limited healing powers. After he had done what he could, he turned to Kakashi, his one good eye filled with tears. "Look what you've done! You've hurt Deidara-sempai! How could you!?" Kakashi narrowed his eyes in anger.

"As if the likes of you cares about his partner!" Obito stood up, Kakashi's anger reflected in his eyes.

"People who fail a mission may be trash, but those who leave their friends are even worse trash." Kakashi's entire body froze as the similar line echoed in his head. He looked at the person before him and realized, with sudden guilt, that he had failed his friend once again.

"Obito… how…?" Tobi turned and scooped up Deidara's limp body in his arms, holding his sempai close.

"Shut up." He stood up and began to walk away, but Kakashi stopped him, grabbing his arm.

"Obito!" The Akatsuki member shook Kakashi off, and began to run, heading towards the forest nearby. "Obito…" Kakashi watched as his old friend took off, and collapsed to his knees. His best friend, the one he had thought he had lost… now hated him… after all these years.

Jiraiya came up behind Kakashi, placing Naruto lightly on the ground beside him.

"Kakashi!" He turned worriedly to the nin beside him, "Are you hurt?" Kakashi shook his head.

"Jiraiya… Th-that was Obito…" Jiraiya's eyes widened in surprise, but he showed a thoughtful expression.

"Who?" He looked around quizzically, "Kakashi, I think you've been placed under a Genjutsu. Come on, we've got to get Naruto back to the village before he wakes up. You heard Tsunade's orders…" Kakashi shook his head, it probably was just a Genjutsu…but still… it all seemed so real…

Jiraiya scooped up Naruto and hoisted him onto his back. "Shall we?" Kakashi nodded, but his thoughts were not focused on Naruto, they were focused on the Akatsuki member. Had it really just been an illusion?

He glanced back at the woods before taking off, his head spinning with unanswered questions. Something he had noticed- the blonde Akatsuki member, Deidara, had a rock headband on, which meant he could have saved Obito from the rockslide.

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Tobi brought Deidara back to their campsite from the previous night and sat beside his sempai all that day. Terror manipulated his senses, so every twig that snapped made him jump. He felt so prone to attack without a strong sempai by his side, and so alone without Deidara to make him laugh.

When nightfall came, he started a fire; nothing compared to the ones Deidara had been able to conjure up with his small explosions, he thought sadly. He couldn't believe what had just happened. His supposed best friend had just heavily injured his sempai, and had left him feeling insecure and terrified. He shivered as the air began to cool, and was eventually forced to huddle nearer the fire.

Exhausted, Tobi began to doze near Deidara, but he continuously woke up, his stomach growling with hunger. He wished he knew how to get food, or even what kind of berries were edible, but thinking about it, he realized how much he had relied on Deidara.

During one doze, however, Tobi awoke to find a mysterious shape shuffling around in the woods. His entire body froze with terror, and he watched with terror as the shape limped towards him. He relaxed, however, as he recognized the pink-haired kunoichi. He did not stay relaxed for long, however, for she was holding a kunai.

"W-Where the hell…. is… Naruto…?" She staggered towards Tobi, her eyes showing anger and hatred, but also a hint of worry and terror. She hobbled forward, but fell to her knees, holding her neck in pain.

"Hey, d-don't push yourself too hard, Sakura-san." Tobi walked cautiously over to her and carefully reached for her hand, he needed to see the injuries. Sakura, now doubled over in pain, smacked Tobi's hand away, but he continued to try prying her fingers away. When he succeeded, he quickly tried to heal the wounds, for they were beginning to bleed again.

Sakura looked up at him through teary eyes, and spoke through clenched teeth.

"I'll…. Ask you… once… more…. Where's Naruto…?" Tobi reached for the bag of supplies he had brought with him, and pulled out some bandages.

"I don't know where Naruto-kun is, to be honest," Tobi pressed his finger against her neck to stop the bleeding, and she winced as she felt the pressure. He uncoiled about three feet of bandages, and ripped it off with his teeth. Sakura let out a gasp as Tobi wrapped it around her neck, making sure not to coke her, but applying a large amount of pressure. "But, I'm sure he's ok, he's with Jiraiya…" He trailed off, "Oh, and by the way, my name is Tobi."

Sakura pulled away when Tobi finished, and shaded her eyes, not letting the Akatsuki member see the worry in her eyes.

"I'm Sakura…" A long moment of silence followed, and Sakura glanced questioningly at Tobi.

"W-Why are you helping me?" She said lightly, and Tobi smiled.

"Because we're allies of Konoha… well… for the most part…" Tobi trailed off and stared longingly into the fire. A painful cough startled him, and he spun around to find Deidara beginning to stir. When Sakura saw all the blood that had soaked his cloak, she staggered over to him, kneeling beside the fallen Akatsuki member.

"What happened…?" Tobi did not answer, and Sakura changed the question, assessing his current condition. "How long has he been like this?" Tobi thought for a moment, but then replied quietly,

"Almost a day now…"

"Shit…" Tobi looked worriedly at Sakura, he knew from her expression things did not bode well for Deidara. "Listen, I need all of your medical supplies; even though you started healing him, you didn't finish the job, which means he might have an infection. If that's the case I'll have to reopen the wound, and dress it properly."

Instantly, Tobi was on his feet, gathering everything he had medical supply-wise and brought it to Sakura. She felt Deidara's forehead and frowned.

"His head is burning, he must have a fever, which means he probably has an infection…" She felt the breath coming from his mouth and nodded to herself, seemingly checking off a mental list. After several tense moments of examination, Sakura sat up and looked Tobi in the eye.

"I'm going to save his life only because you saved mine." Tobi nodded, and watched as Sakura pulled out a kunai. She bit her lip for a mere second, then thrust it into Deidara's wound. Deidara, who had been sleeping peacefully, tensed up and gasped for air. Sakura called Tobi to hold him down, and so began the surgery…

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Hey all,

Yay! Another chapter! Again, sorry for the delay, lack of time, and too much homework has taken its toll on me. . Ah, well. I hope you enjoy this chapter, and I hope to update soon!

3 Inuluvr


	23. Lost in Memory

Lost in Memory

The sun shone brightly through the tree leaves, and Sakura sat up, wiping sweat off of her brow. She had just spent two full hours re-opening Deidara's wounds and then properly re-healing them. The procedure was originally only supposed to take an hour, but she had run into some problems when halfway through, Deidara began to cough up profuse amounts of blood. She then had to put the healing on hold while she figured out what had gone wrong.

After about five very apprehensive moments, Sakura realized that he had coughed up blood because she had accidentally punctured his lung when re-opening the wound, and she quickly set to work on fixing that. She worked furiously, drawing out the blood from his lungs so that he wouldn't drown in his own blood. This had taken an extra hour to fix, and had tired her out immensely.

Now that she was done, however, she looked down at Deidara with confidence that he would live. Tobi's healing, though she did not mention it, had done Deidara more harm than help, since the poor healing job had caused infection. Sakura looked over as Tobi emerged from the bushes, herbs of all sorts carried in his arms. He had put on his mask again and Sakura's curiosity burned to know why, but she did not ask.

She had been told about everything that had happened while she was out, and as the day wore on, worry began to cloud her thoughts. When she had been told that Jiraiya had knocked Naruto out, rather than listening to what he had to say, she began to wonder what was happening at Konoha. What was going to become of Naruto in this state…

Tobi's worried voice cut through her thoughts and brought her attention back to the present.

"I-Is Deidara-sempai going to be… ok?" Tobi's voice sounded full of dread and apprehension, but Sakura smiled at him to cheer him up.

"I think he'll be fine, with a lot of rest and some good medicines… Now, let me see what you could find." She took the herbs from Tobi and sorted them out, distinguishing the harmful from the helpful. She then started a fire, boiling water from a nearby stream, and adding some herbs to create a medicine to help Deidara recover. As she sat stirring the stew, Tobi shifted positions uncomfortably and called to her attention.

"Yeah?" She asked, looking inquisitively at Tobi.

"T-thank you. I wasn't sure I could trust you, not after seeing how easily Kakashi could hurt Deidara. I was afraid… afraid that you would kill Deidara because you're a Konoha nin." Sakura looked at Tobi, too stunned for words at first, but eased her expression to a soft sympathetic smile.

"Tobi… I think Kakashi… Well, he thought Obito- well, he thought you were dead… In fact, I think that everyday he thought of you. There was never a day that he didn't visit your grave, that's why he was always late for our missions. He'd always stop by to say goodbye."

Tobi sat for several moments without speaking, until he finally stood up and walked over to the edge of the woods.

"Thank you, Sakura." He whispered before disappearing behind a large oak.

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Tsunade paced back and forth in front of her desk, worry keeping her up and about, rather than her usual lazing around. She glanced out the window- almost sunset; if Jiraiya and Kakashi didn't get back soon… She shook the thoughts from her head, refusing to venture that far into the future. She had to keep focused at what was at hand.

When Jiraiya and Kakashi reported back to her, stating that two of the Akatsuki were sneaking out of the hideout, an unconscious Naruto with them, Tsunade knew things did not bode well for Kyuubi. Kakashi had reported that, by using his sharingan, he had been able to check Kyuubi's chakra level, and that it was dangerously low. As soon as Tsunade heard this, she had ordered Jiraiya and Kakashi to get Naruto back at all costs. With Kyuubi's lack of chakra, Gyakumodori would become weaker and weaker, and eventually, would release itself, a terrible fate for Kyuubi and Naruto. They would both die.

Gyakumodori, when accidentally released, becomes a deadly jutsu that will kill both the jinchuuriki and bijuu by loss of chakra control. Both chakras will mingle and become a destructive force that nobody will be able to control. The only way that Gyakumodori can safely be removed is if a third life chakra is given to replace the jinchuuriki's lost life.

Tsunade's thoughts were interrupted by loud knocking on the door, followed by a crash, as Jiraiya burst through the door, Naruto's limp body slung over his shoulder. Tsunade ran to him, her eyes filled with relief.

"Jiraiya-sama!" She gasped, looking up at him. He shook his head and turned,

"I can't talk right now, I have to help with Kakashi," he turned, about to leave. "I'll explain everything later, but first- do what you need to do. Naruto's seal is beginning to break." He disappeared out the door, leaving Naruto behind on Tsunade's desk.

Tsunade picked up Naruto's limp body and took him to a hospital room. She knew what she had to do, and she knew it wouldn't be a pleasant experience, for neither her nor Naruto. In order to reinforce the Gyakumodori seal, Tsunade would have to use a good bit of her chakra to re-seal it.

She concentrated, trying to calm her nerves; she did not want to hurt Naruto, but the reinforcement of a seal was one of the most painful jutsus. That is why she had wanted Naruto unconscious, so that he would not feel pain until afterwards, when she could at least give him a little bit of medicine to ease the discomfort.

As she felt her chakra gather, Naruto's body became engulfed in a terrible red chakra.

"Shit!" Tsunade knew that if she did not seal them back now, Gyakumodori would kill them very soon. She made several hand seals, and thrust her hand onto Naruto's seal. His entire body's chakra reacted, powerful waves pushing against Tsunade, but she had to keep sealing, or all would be lost.

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Kyuubi opened his eyes, looking inquisitively around. He was back in his regular form, and it felt comfortable; standing on two feet was uncomfortable, and Kyuubi was grateful to be on all fours once again. Recognizing the familiar corridors of Naruto's thoughts, he stood up, shaking water off of his pelt. He stepped cautiously through the hallways, feeling cold water beneath his warm pads.

As he rounded a corner, he found himself facing a huge gate, which had a large seal of paper locking it in place. As he drew near, he saw Naruto's soul, laying unconscious behind the large gate. A place he had once been, and wished to return to, eventually, knowing it would be the only hope for Naruto's survival.

"Naruto?" Naruto merely flinched at Kyuubi's low growl, so Kyuubi called in a stronger voice. "Naruto? Wake up, Naruto." He looked nervously over at Naruto, and stepped closer to the gate.

Naruto jerked awake as the seal began to glow slightly, but Kyuubi failed to notice. Naruto yawned, sitting up, and rubbed his eyes lazily before looking over at Kyuubi, who now stood, stunned.

"Kyuubi?" He smiled and waved, standing up. "Hey, long time no talk." He said cheerfully, laughing at the surprised look on Kyuubi's face. Naruto walked over to his side of the gate, and looked curiously over at Kyuubi, who padded over on his side.

"So, what brings you here, Kyuubi?" Kyuubi lay down and recited everything that had happened while Naruto had been unconscious. Naruto nodded when he finished, and looked blankly past him. He sat silent for several moments before returning his gaze to Kyuubi.

"Kyuubi… Do you remember the first time I met you…? You were behind this seal before…" Kyuubi seemed uncertain at first, but after a few moments, he nodded slowly. "…Why…. Did you try to kill me?" Kyuubi's eyes widened before lowering, he did not dare tell Naruto about this. He didn't want him to know… Kyuubi sighed, he supposed it was inevitable.

"Naruto… before I tell you this… I want you to know, don't ever remove the seal." Naruto stood, wide-eyed, but then suddenly changed his expression, showing his displeasure.

"I'm not that stupid." Kyuubi nodded, but looked into Naruto's eyes.

"Yes, but on that first day, I knew you were going to, and so I needed to keep you frightened enough so that you would stay away from it. And, let me tell you right now, if you ever remove the seal, disastrous things will happen. I'll leave it at that."

Kyuubi stood up, stretching his paws, but froze as he felt a burning sensation on his stomach. He turned to find Naruto on the ground, doubled over in pain from a burning in his seal, and he let out a pained roar as the burning sensation blinded him, forcing him to the ground.

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Hey all!

I want you all to give a BIG thanks to AnimeOtaku31821, who has been helping me through my hardest times of writers block! GO SHOWER HER WITH LOVE. NOW. Also, another person I owe a HUGE thanks to is Anne Camp aka Obi-quiet. She made me realize a fairly big mistake- the fact that I had forgotten that in their first meeting, Kyuubi tried to kill Naruto. **–**smacks herself against the head- Hello! One of the biggest scenes in Naruto and I've forgotten? Seems like I need to work on my obsession!

Anyway, HUGE thanks to the two of them, and I hope you enjoyed his installment of Reversal. (Don't worry, I plan to update soon!)


	24. Returning Home

Returning Home

Sakura leaned against a trunk of a tree, momentarily placing her bag on the ground beside her. She unzipped her pack and rummaged through the contents, searching for a medicine she had been able to quickly whip up. Tobi leapt off of a tree branch, landing beside Sakura. Deidara was heavily leaning on his partner, and Sakura could see that he was in a fair amount of pain.

"We'll stop here to rest." She nodded at Deidara, "Come here, I need to apply some of this medicinal cream to your wounds." She pulled out a small bowl of mashed herbs, and helped Deidara over to the tree, so he could sit, while she treated his wound.

Deidara had gained consciousness shortly after Sakura had finished operating on him, and had not said a word since. When she had asked if he was ok, he merely nodded, and turned his head the other way, pretending to be distracted by the wind blowing through the trees. It was obvious to Sakura, however, that he was embarrassed to have been saved by a girl that was not only several ranks below him, but also much younger. From his attitude, it seemed to Sakura that he'd have rather died than have been helped by a girl.

Despite his arrogant behavior, however, Sakura was glad he had pulled through. She respected him; after seeing how easily he had sacrificed his life for Tobi, she could not look down on him. He was, in her opinion, a true ninja… always putting friends first… in a way, he resembled Naruto…

"Gah! That stings!" Deidara pulled away from Sakura, wincing. Sakura sighed, and grabbed him before he was able to get too far away.

"If- we don't- Hold still, damn it!" She struggled with him as he tried to scramble away.

"I'll be fine- without it- un!" Deidara grumbled, trying to push the fighting kunoichi away from him.

"No- you won't!" She said, angrily slapping the medicinal cream on his injury. He was a bit too much like Naruto, not only did he have the good qualities, but he also possessed the bad ones- such as obstinance. Tobi stepped in, restraining Deidara while Sakura smeared the medicine on his injury, careful not to press to hard. It was obvious the spot was still tender, since he was so sensitive.

Sakura was surprised, however, that as soon as Tobi grabbed onto Deidara's arms to restrain him, he gave up fighting, and merely grunted angrily. When Tobi let go, he sat, covering his injury with his hand.

"C'mon… we should head out. We need to help Naruto… it's obvious things aren't right in Konoha…" He tried to stand, but leaned heavily against the tree, unable to support himself.

"Deidara-san… you shouldn't push yourself…" She watched worriedly as he pushed against the tree, staggering to stabilize himself.

"No… we need to go…" He collapsed on the ground, coughing.

"Deidara!" She ran to him, helping him up.

"Let go, kunoichi. If I need help. Tobi will help me." Disgusted, Sakura let go. She was sick of his attitude. She didn't understand why he was being so rude to her; she had saved his life, and this was the thanks she got?

Tobi pulled Deidara's arm over his shoulder and helped his partner stand.

"Let's go," She said coldly. She turned, not bothering to see if Tobi and Deidara were following.

They had run more than halfway to Konoha, and she couldn't wait to see the smiling faces of her allies; a nice contrast to Deidara's sour mood, and Tobi's eerie silence. She mused about Tobi; He hadn't spoken a word since she had helped Deidara, and for some reason, he was avoiding all contact with her. She hated how boys could be so cold… they were always embarrassed to admit it when a kunoichi was better than them.

Her spirit rose, however, as she began to recognize the familiar territory of the fire country. Before long, she thought contentedly, she would be back in Konoha, probably talking with Naruto, and finally getting a clear explanation of what was going on in the village.

Sakura slid to a horrified halt, however, when she reached the edge of the woods, just outside of Konoha. A Konoha nin lay on the ground, covered in blood, and heavily injured.

She ran to his side, turning him over, and instantly began healing him. As she examined his face, she recognized him as the Chuunin exam official, Genma. Tobi and Deidara hobbled over to the fallen nin, and watched as Sakura healed him.

"He was attacked by an Uchiha." Deidara said coldly. "His wounds show a lot of struggle, and that he was attacked by the Mangekyou. This does not bode well…"

Suddenly, Genma's eyes snapped open, and he looked up at Sakura, an absolute terror reflected in his eyes. Sakura's eyes met his, and he struggled to cough out something. She leaned close to his mouth, seeing he was only able to whisper.

"The war…. " He choked out painfully. "Has…. begun…" He coughed, and slowly fell unconscious again, and Sakura looked worriedly back at Deidara and Tobi.

"It looks like we came at the wrong time…" Deidara said, concern deep in his voice. "Leave him here for now… he'll be ok, you've helped him enough. But we don't want him to be in the middle of battle, and my guess is that the battle is in Konoha itself."

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Tsunade watched several of the surrounding nin dart around her, and timing it perfectly, lashed out, her kunai flying everywhere. However, only one nin was hit. She blocked six kunai, the clash of metal deafening to her ears. These nin were strong, it was obvious they had been training a lot.

She whipped around, protecting herself from yet another attack, but, as she realized too late, leaving her backside unprotected. She cursed as she realized this, hoping nobody would try to attack her. However, as luck would have it, a second ninja leapt at her unshielded side.

Bracing herself for the pain of a kunai in her back, she continued to fight with her first attacker. She was surprised, however, when she heard a metal clank behind her, meaning someone had come to save her. She turned to see Jiraiya, smiling back at her, despite several scratches scattered across his face. Relief washed over her, seeing that he had not been too badly injured.

After she had been able to seal Naruto and Kyuubi back together, she had collapsed, from losing so much chakra. She had still been conscious, but she was so weak, she could not support herself. That's when Jiraiya came running into the room, panting heavily, and looking frustrated.

"Tsunade! Sasuke… has brought…" He was able to choke out between gasps. "Sasuke… is attacking the village… with a full army!" Tsunade tried to stand, cursing profusely as she fell down each time. Jiraiya helped her to her desk, where she pulled out some pills.

"These should help me regain some chakra…" She swallowed them, then nodded to Jiraiya. "Now tell me, what the hell is going on? And why did you leave to 'help' Kakashi?" Jiraiya pulled up a chair.

"Kakashi claims he saw Obito… as the masked Akatsuki member no less…" Tsunade gasped in surprise and listened intently as Jiraiya continued. "He's almost gone mad searching for Obito; it's so unlike him." Tsunade lowered her eyes, knowing how pained she would feel if she found Dan hadn't actually died.

"Then… what did you do…?"

"Well, when I got back, he was suddenly very calm. It was weird. But I'll explain more later. We need to discuss this war." Tsunade stood up, feeling her chakra return as the pills began to take effect.

"Let Sasuke come and fight us, but I refuse to give him what he is coming for. If he wants the scroll of Madara, he'll have to take it from the hands of my corpse." Jiraiya sighed and looked at her, concerned.

"I was afraid you'd say that…" He said, standing up opposite her. "I'll prepare everyone for battle. Meanwhile, see if you can get all the injured, sick, and innocents into the secret place." Tsunade nodded, slightly agitated that he had given her orders, but she did not say anything.

"But… we need to keep a close eye on Naruto. If we don't-"

"That's a risk we're going to have to take," Jiraiya said with confidence. "I believe that Kyuubi will try his hardest to suppress his 'other side.'"

Since then, everything had been a blur of colors, mixing together. Leaving Naruto in the hospital, so if he did transform, he wouldn't be with all the villagers; confronting Sasuke, who had gotten more powerful than Orochimaru could have ever hoped to be; and being separated from Jiraiya.

She was glad to see he was still on his feet, fighting at his best, just as she was.

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Hey all!

:D Another chapter! Yayz! I'm sorry to say this, but it seems I may have to put Reversal on hold. I hope it doesn't come to that, but with the amount of work I'm getting from school, it may be a possibility.

As sad as I am to say this, I doubt I'll be posting another chapter next weekend. Wanna know why? Oct. 13th is my B-day! Yay! dances

Anyway, I just thought I'd let you know what's going on. By the way… I 3 YOU ALL!

Inuluvr


	25. Taking the Form of a Demon

Taking the Form of a Demon

Kyuubi opened his eyes and pushed himself off the ground, noting a slight pain in his stomach. He stood in front of the familiar gates, peering curiously into the shadows that lay on the other side. He perked his ears, listening carefully for signs of movement from Naruto. At first he heard nothing, making him tense with anxiety, he should be able to hear Naruto's breathing at least. But as he listened even more closely, he could hear slight sighs of Naruto's breath, and he relaxed.

"Naruto…." He whispered. He wanted to make sure his companion was alright. Kyuubi sat thoughtfully for several moments, trying to remember what had happened. He remembered feeling an immense pain in his stomach, the exact spot in which the seal, the cause of every obstacle they faced, lay. He knew this could only mean one thing… someone had reinforced the seal as it unraveled, almost releasing completely, saving not only Naruto but also him. He noticed the seal was now much stronger than before, and a completely different atmosphere surrounded it. Something incredibly powerful- there was no worry of it falling apart again any time soon.

Kyuubi cleared his throat, letting out a harsher growl. "Naruto." He spoke firmly, trying again to arouse the blonde. He relaxed even more as Naruto responded sleepily, and he could hear the groggy replies from the shadows.

"Kyuubi… Wha-" Naruto's sentence was interrupted by a wide yawn. "What's going on?" As Kyuubi squinted into the darkness, he could see a moving shadow, as Naruto shuffled over to the gate. "The seal…" He said in amazement, admiring it's renewed power. The soft glow illuminated Naruto's face, his blue eyes reflecting it with an expression of wonder. "What's happened?" He asked, tearing his eyes away from the seal, and meeting Kyuubi's.

"Naruto… when I lost my chakra, and we barely had enough to live, somebody reinforced the seal to ensure our safety. Do you feel the slight pain on your seal? That's a sign that either the seal is falling apart, or has been reinforced… and looking at the seal now… I'd say that the seal has been stabilized, so that it's stronger than before." Naruto nodded and sighed.

"If that's the case," He said doubtfully, "Then why aren't you conscious. Why are you in these chambers?"

"I can answer that…" Kyuubi froze, recognizing the growl instantly. A shadow slipped behind Naruto, eyes glowing a fierce red as they met with Kyuubi's. Naruto's eyes, wide with surprise, suddenly turned fearful, as the figure smiled wickedly, and Naruto found himself unable to move. Kyuubi growled lowly, feeling the fur on his ruff prickle as rage began to overcome him.

"Let him go. Now." The intruder laughed, and stealthily maneuvered around Naruto, whose expression was terrified and blank. As the figure stepped into the light, his black pelt gleamed, and his eyes sparkled maliciously.   
"Kyuubi-kun… so demanding of yourself. Why not let your evil side take over for a little while, hmm? You know… There's a war in Konoha, and your power would be a great help to Konoha." He smiled wickedly.

"You bastard… Leave me alone!" Kyuubi lashed his tails angrily, and pressed against the gate, his paws tingling to draw blood from the black nine tails on the opposite side of it.

"Kyuubi… Why so angry? I'm not here to hurt you… I'm here to help you." The black nine tails let out a deep laugh, his eyes flashing mischievously. "And I'm sure you'd hate if this kid was killed, after all this trouble you've been through just trying to keep him alive."

"No!" Kyuubi launched himself against the gate, realizing too late the seal had a protective technique on it, and he felt a terrible shock as he came in contact with it. Naruto, still paralyzed by the black nine tail's technique managed to choke out a question.

"Who….the hell… are you?" The black nine tails turned and looked at Naruto, his piercing red eyes showing brightly in the dim light.

" Kyuubi never told you? How interesting… " He chuckled, "I'm his other half. The half… with the power." Kyuubi growled, a fierce menacing growl.

"Let go of Naruto." His fur was ruffled with anger, but he calmed himself, suddenly changing his tone. "Please… don't hurt him." Kyuubi spoke submissively, and did not meet Naruto's eyes when he gasped in surprise, but instead continued. "What do you want from me…?"

"I want you to free me… Just think of how helpful our power would be in this war… And all you have to do," he spoke in a coaxing whisper. "Is let me take over for a while…" Kyuubi roared with anger.

"So you can what? Kill everyone?! Don't make me laugh!" The black Kyuubi lashed his tails angrily.

"Then the kid dies!" He ran at Naruto, and a bright flash blinded Kyuubi as the black nine tails hit Naruto. When he had recovered, he saw Naruto, his eyes still filled with fear, standing, seemingly unharmed. However, as the black Kyuubi turned, blood spurt from one of Naruto's cheeks and Naruto, now unbound from the technique, crumpled to his knees, covering his injury with his hand, squeezing his eyes shut.

"Shit… that… really hurts." He said, straining his voice in pain. The black nine tails smiled wickedly, ignoring Naruto, looking directly at Kyuubi.

"I could've killed him, but I decided to give you another chance… and show you what I'm capable of doing… And don't forget, our chakra is like poison to humans." He glanced over at Naruto, who was struggling to his feet, his legs weak from the quick-acting, poison-like chakra. The black nine tails slit his eyes. He hadn't given the boy a lethal dose, so he should recover in a few hours.

"And how do you plan to take over? I'm in charge of the body, and you're on the other side of the gate in comparison to me. And if I'm correct, you must come in contact with the one you posses."

The black nine tails smiled and walked towards the gate. "An interesting question." He paused and slid into the shadows, his eyes glowing in bright contrast. Kyuubi watched in horror as the nine tails passed through the bars of the gate, as if the gate itself didn't exist.

"How-"

"I'm not a real thing, remember… I'm merely a part of you, so I'm not held to this seal's boundary." Kyuubi looked over at Naruto, noting how weak he was.

"If you promise not to hurt Naruto…. I'll let you take over."

"Kyuubi…." Naruto coughed, before continuing. " Don't…" But Kyuubi shook his head, and watched as an evil smile spread across the black nine tails' face.

"Heh, very well then." Kyuubi closed his eyes, feeling a cold shadow overcome him, as the black nine tails took over his senses.

---------------------------------

Sakura slid, dodging several kunai, one landing dangerously close to her foot. She stood momentarily and shoved her hand into the ground.

"SHANNARO!" The ground in front of her suddenly broke into jagged rocks protruding from the ground, impaling three nin, and throwing the fourth off balance. Taking the initiative, she threw a kunai, finishing off the final nin before he could recover his balance.

Sakura hurried off, looking for someone else to fight. She turned a corner, and ran right into Tsunade, who was covered in head to foot with blood, but seemingly unharmed. A sign that many enemies had fallen at her hands.

"Sakura-san!" Tsunade beamed at her, a hint of relief in her eyes. "Thank goodness you're alright!" Sakura smiled, but it soon faded as she noticed three more enemy nins jumped, kunai out to attack Tsunade. However, Tsunade merely raised a fist at the exact moment, smashing one hard in the face. The other two Sakura quickly disposed of, throwing Kunai at them.

"I'll see you after this battle! Watch yourself!" Tsunade ran away, before Sakura could ask for the whereabouts of Naruto. However, she did not have to look long, for a mere second later, she felt a familiar chakra flood her senses. A chakra she had never wanted to encounter again, one of pure hatred, an essence of the shadow that followed Naruto.

Sakura was brought out of her thoughts, however, as a blood curdling scream filled the air, followed by a torn body smashing into one of the nearby houses, destroying it completely. She felt a scream catch in her throat as she saw the body, bloody and ripped apart, injuries she had never witnessed in such a degree. She tore her eyes away from the dead nin seeing movement in the corner of her eye. A familiar figure, one of neither human nor animal, was running around, throwing various nins in the battlefield, while shredding others to pieces.

The figure was a fox-like creature, almost an exact replica of a nine tails, different in only two aspects- size and the face. The face was almost human like, but had the fur and fury of a demon. Sakura placed a hand to her mouth, suppressing another scream. She had seen Naruto like this once before, but he looked even worse than before. The first time she had seen him like this, he only had four tails, but as Sakura watched the tails, lashing with rage, she was able to count six- at least.

The demon had destroyed an entire battlefield, killing both enemies and allies, and stood in a pool of blood, several clawed bodies laying near. He turned, about to leave, but Sakura called to him.

"Naruto!" She shouted, trying to wake the blonde from his murderous trance. "Naruto, snap out of it! Please…" She found herself paralyzed, however, as Naruto turned his gaze to her, his tails lashing, and his form dripping blood.

_This is the worst I've ever seen him_… Sakura thought_. There's so much blood dripping from his demonic form. _His_ blood. At this rate… if he doesn't transform back to his old self soon… _ She shook the thought away, not wanting to venture that far into the future. She needed to wake him, before he killed more, or even worse, his state became irreversible.

She ran to him, tears prickling in the corner of her eyes. Even though he did not show any signs of it, she knew that deep down, his true self was writhing in pain. She had seen what the chakra could do to someone, and Naruto, she knew, was always the one who was most heavily affected. Those thoughts made her lose all her senses, and she ran to him, her thoughts clouded by worry.

"NARUTO!" She yelled, tears flying behind her as she thought of Naruto, and rushed towards the figure, who remained in his alert stance.

Naruto's demonic form, tails lashing angrily, dashed towards his new target, anticipating the smell of fresh blood. He revealed a wicked smiled as he felt his hand slice through the girl's flesh, blood spattering across his face. The human crumpled to the ground, holding her wound, and shaking as she sobbed. She coughed up blood, before sinking into unconscious, her complexion pale from the blood that had drained from the injury. He raised his hand to finish her off, planning to slice her throat, but paused, seeing another human move towards him, shouting and cursing.

The demon dashed at the second figure, managing to leave a large gash in the figure's side, but stopped as a seal was shoved onto his stomach by the human. For several seconds, the demon Naruto staggered around, holding his head as a blinding pain passed through it. However, after a minute, his body had taken the form of a human again, and he fell to the ground, his skin beginning to heal over the raw wounds.

The man walked over to the girl who had collapsed, and gently picked up her limp form, looking sorrowfully down at Naruto.

"Naruto… what… have you done?"

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Hey guys!

I'm so terribly sorry for the delay in chapter-posting! As some of you may know, last weekend was my B-day weekend, so I was a little busy, and these past several days, I've been struggling to keep up with school work, so please forgive me.

HAH And not only that, but my internet has given out. That's why I haven't updated: I've found myself without the internet for over a month. In fact, I'm using Sketch's computer right now… 

Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter! I'm sorry to say Reversal will definitely be put on hold, until I A.) Get a new computer, or B.) Get a working internet connection. Not only that, I'm no longer able to get private messages, because is being stubborn and not letting me see my e-mail. Sorry if anything has happened that I've missed!

Inuluvr


	26. Painful Reflections

Painful Reflections

Sasuke, perched on a high branch of a tree, scowled at the scroll before him, trying to decipher its meaning. He had spent all morning staring at the sheet, glancing over the various scribbled of kanji and frowning as he pondered them. The scroll of Madara was much different than he had anticipated- he had always thought that in finding and reading the scroll, all of his questions would be answered. Instead, each sentence caused more questions to boil in his head, making his problems even bigger. However, he could not let himself become distracted, he needed to solve his main problem- why he was unable to control the mangekyou sharingan.

Ever since he had been able to successfully kill Naruto, he had not been able to use the sharingan correctly. He found himself constantly wavering between his normal vision and the enhanced vision of the sharingan, and the sudden changes were beginning to cause him terrible headaches. These headaches hindered his concentration and toleration of his teammates. Lately, he had been finding himself fighting back strong urges to kill Suigetsu and Karin. Usually he was able to tolerate them, but his headaches and Karin's constant whining about her injuries from the war were beginning to drive him over the edge.

Sasuke sighed, thinking about the war. At least he had been able to retrieve the scroll. Even though it didn't provide any immediate solutions, he couldn't help but think that it would help him in the long run. That, and having won the war he was sure nobody in Konoha would try to oppose him, considering he has massacred many ninja. He had seen to it that Konoha had suffered major casualties, so none of the ninjas would be brave enough to try and track him and interfere with his plans.

He rolled up the scroll, and leapt down from the branch he had been balanced on, noticing Suigetsu as he emerged from behind a nearby tree.

"Karin's wound is unlike anything I've ever seen," He whispered worriedly, as he walked towards Sasuke, stopping a few feet in front of him. "Something in her injuries seems to be eating away at her skin. She says she's been feeling a burning feeling, almost like a poison, but she still can't remember who or what attacked her…" He trailed off for a moment, his eyes clouded with fear and concern. "I think we should take her to the doctors."

Sasuke stared coolly at his teammate, his gray eyes reflecting none of Suigetsu's concern.

"If Karin truly thinks her injuries are bad enough that she needs a doctor, she shouldn't be walking around as she is now." Suigetsu glared at Sasuke defiantly,

"It isn't Karin that thinks she should go for medical treatment, it's me." Sasuke, ignoring Suigetsu's final comment, walked off, tying the scroll shut and shoving it in his belt. Suigetsu watched angrily as Sasuke left, trying to contain his rage. He was worried about Karin. She seemed to be worsening by the day.

Sasuke walked back to the remains of their fire and gazed at the sky, trying to rid himself of the headache that had crept up on him. Rubbing his temples, he turned in hearing his name. Karin stood before him, smiling sheepishly, and blushing as he met her gaze.

"Sasuke-kun, what are you going to do, now that you've got the scroll." Sasuke sighed, trying to contain his annoyance.

"I don't know." He said curtly, then added, "No word from Juugo, I presume?" She shook her head and concentrated on the fire pit.

"Sasuke… what are you going to do… after you kill Itachi?" Sasuke paused, thinking over the question, although he left his expression blank and cool. The truth was that he hadn't ever really though about it; he had always been so concentrated on killing Itachi, he had never planned for the future. Doubt washed over him. Did that mean deep down he himself didn't actually believe he could kill Itachi? He felt washes of several emotions, wonder, anger, doubt, and fear. He was just beginning to dig very deep into his emotions, when his thoughts were interrupted by a third nin who trudged in, glaring daggers at Sasuke and softly smiling as he met Karin's eyes.

"Karin-san, I think we should treat your wounds. They seem to be bleeding through the bandages you have on right now. I don't want them to get infected." Karin scowled at Suigetsu, before turning to Sasuke, her eyes pleading.

"Sasuke-kun…" she whined, worsening his headache. "Sasuke-kun, he's not careful enough when putting on the bandages, he keeps reopening my wounds. Won't you do it for me?"

Sasuke, affronted, and in excruciating pain from a sudden headache, turned and walked away from Karin, leaving her shocked and heartbroken. He needed to leave, needed to get somewhere quiet before he killed either Suigetsu or Karin.

He ran off, back into the woods, planning to continue with his scroll deciphering, in a quieter environment. He stopped as he reached a large maple, and he situated himself under its green leaves. He pulled out the scroll again and skipped to the end. Something bothered him about the last paragraph, something he couldn't quite place… He turned pale as he realized what bothered him. The handwriting was familiar. The handwriting was Itachi's.

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Sakura's eyes snapped open and she shot up in bed, gasping an wincing as the pain of her wound stunned her. She coughed and felt a small amount of blood spatter into her hand. Her heart was beating rapidly, and her hands were tightly gripping the sheets beneath her. Chaos and confusion clouded her thoughts as she desperately tried to reach out and grasp her memories from before she fell unconscious.

She froze as a soft hand came down on her shoulder, pushing her lightly back into a lying position. She looked up to see Sai smiling kindly down at her.

"Sakura-san, you're all right. Please, calm down." She closed her eyes and tried to calm herself, as the pain began to creep all around her. She felt herself shaking, and Sai placed another blanket on her. "Sakura-san… you're safe now." His words were soothing, and they helped her calm down.

"S-Sai…." She coughed, before continuing. "W-where's…Naruto?" She remembered clearly now what had happened. His transformation; how he had almost killed her. But after that last fleeting moment, she remembered only bits and pieces. She recalled hearing someone call her name, and then someone picking her up, and carrying her away. As she concentrated, though, she could faintly recollect opening her eyes and looking up at a familiar blonde with blue eyes, but she could not recall who.

"Naruto-kun is in another room, but he's in no condition for visitors, or so I've been told. He's in a very bad condition, Sakura-san. Nobody knows if he's going to survive. I'm sorry." Sai said this with a frown, but he kept his normal indifferent expression. Sakura turned away from him, trying to hide her tears by staring into the window.

"Naruto-kun…" She whispered, watching the trees outside dance in the wind. She suddenly felt very cold, and alone. Naruto used too much of Kyuubi's power, she knew, but something still nagged at her. Kyuubi was supposed to be on Naruto's side, why would he unleash his own power if he knew Naruto's body couldn't handle it? Questions swam inside her head, but she contained them, and pushed them away as Sai spoke.

"Sakura-san, I'm going to get Tsunade, she wanted to know as soon as you were awake." He smiled and stood up. "I'll be back." He walked out, silently shutting the door behind him, and leaving Sakura to her thoughts.

She sat up, and carefully dangled her feet over the edge of the bed. She wanted to see Naruto; it didn't matter to her that he wasn't allowed to have any visitors. She was a medical nin, and would probably be able to help heal him, in the least. She tried to stand up, wincing as she felt a sharp pain in her stomach, but ignored it and continued to stagger over to the door.

She started out into the hallway but was stopped as Tsunade came running down the hallway, followed by Shizune and a few ANBU members. Tsunade slid to a stop as she saw Sakura standing at the doorway.

"Sakura! Why are you up!? You should be resting!" She was angry, but she did not shout. Sakura blinked at Tsunade, noticing she was somewhat distracted, seeing her but not seeing her. She continuously shot nervous glances down the hall, and before Sakura could answer her, she instructed Shizune to take care of Sakura, while she dealt with the other problem. Shizune nodded, and shooed Sakura back into her hospital room, helping her limp back to the bed.

"Shizune-sama, what's going on?" She asked worriedly, as Shizune sat Sakura down on the bed. She shook her head and glanced worriedly at the open door, walking over to it and shutting it quietly before turning back to her.

"Sakura-san, I'm not supposed to tell you this, but…" She trailed off, hearing feet pattering down the hallway outside. She waited a moment before continuing. "Sakura-san, Naruto-kun has been a huge problem lately. Nobody has been able to wake him, and every time a healing nin comes to change his bandages, and try to heal him, the terrible red chakra surrounding him lashes out. And right now… one nin got too close… from what I heard, she's got a large gash in her head, from when the chakra knocked her into a table."

Sakura's heart beat fast as she heard this, and she listened to Shizune with terror and anxiety. She jumped as she heard Shizune speak again.

"Sakura… was it Naruto who attacked you on the battle field?" Sakura looked away, fighting back more tears, and nodded.

"H-he didn't mean to…" Tears began to slide down her cheeks, and she met Shizune's eyes, which were filled with sympathy. Shizune nodded and spoke softly, to Sakura, knowing how upset she was.

"Sakura-san, it's ok, Tsunade is trying everything to help him, and I think once she does, everything will turn out all right. Now, calm down. As we wait for Tsunade, tell me, why did an Akatsuki member bring you here?" Sakura looked up in surprise. An Akatsuki member? That must mean either Tobi or Deidara had come and helped her, possible even saved her. She suddenly froze at the thought. If they had seen Deidara or Tobi they would most likely be locked up right now.

"Where are they?!? Where are the Akatsuki members?" Shizune, taken aback by Sakura's sudden outburst stammered out their location.

"He's been captured, of course, and taken to the jail for now, until we can figure out what to do with him."

"Deidara and Tobi are on our side!" Sakura said, panicking. The least thing she wanted right now was to deal with Deidara and Tobi tortured for information on the Akatsuki.

"There were two of them? We only found one…" Shizune sighed. "That means the other one is on the loose somewhere. We'll have to find him. But for now, why don't you get some rest? You need it." Sakura nodded in agreement, but remained sitting.

"I want to talk to Tsunade first." Shizune sighed again, "Alright, but only until-" Her sentence was interrupted by Tsunade bursting through the door, huffing, her hands covered in blood.

"Shizune, I need your help, she's in worse condition than I'd thought." Shizune nodded before Tsunade disappeared into the hallway. She glanced back nervously at Sakura.

"As soon as this is straightened out, I'll talk to you some more Sakura-san. Also, I'll get the Akatsuki out of the jail, and we'll see what he has to say." Shizune turned and ran out the door, following orders Tsunade threw at her.

Sakura returned to looking out the window, trying to wipe away the worry in her thoughts. She couldn't help but think about Naruto. What would happen if Tsunade couldn't help Naruto…?

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Hey all!

Reversal is no longer on hold! I've finally got my computer up and running, so I'm happy. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter, and let me know what you think! Also, I don't know if any of you have noticed, but I've got my email up, so anyone who wants to give me suggestions with the plot, (which is very badly needed) email me at snakelizarrd on google mail. I'm always open for suggestions, critique, and comments!

Inuluvr

P.S. Anyone familiar with the song 'Room of angel'? It's a really good song that I used for inspiration for this chapter.


	27. Revelation

Revelation

Sakura opened her eyes and found herself lying in a large field, with long, whispy blades of grass surrounding her. She sat up, confused, and looked up at the sky, illuminated by a full and round moon, stark in contrast to the looming trees nearby. A cold wind swept across the tall grass, and Sakura found herself shivering, the gusts of air brushing through her as though she were a ghost. She stood up and wandered through the vast meadow, noticing the more she walked, the farther away the trees seemed to become.

She jumped as her foot landed on something cold and wet, and she withdrew her foot, leaning over to examine the object she had stepped on. She felt a gasp catch in her throat as she recognized the cold metal headband, spattered with a sticky substance. She picked it up with shaky hands and held it for several seconds, turning pale as she recognized the substance: blood. She dropped the headband with a yelp of terror and turned to run. However, she found herself frozen to the spot, her darkest nightmare lying before her.

Naruto lay on the ground, his cold and blank eyes fixed on nothingness, impaled by a long sword she recognized as Sasuke's. Next to Naruto, Sasuke lay, a gaping hole in his chest, his face spattered with blood. Sakura, shaking uncontrollably, slid to the ground, her eyes wide with terror. She sat before the two, tears splattering onto the ground below.

"N-Naruto… Sasuke…" She sat before them for, what seemed to her, ages, and did not move until a voice called to her. She looked up and saw a shady figure standing in front of her, dressed in the garb of the Akatsuki, a large cloak and a hat, covering the face. Sakure froze as she met with the shadow's eyes, two soft glows of red, recognizing instantly as the sharingan. The cloaked figure narrowed his eyes and spoke to her in a soft but stern tone.

"Only you have the power to change the fate of the two you cherish most. Their fate has been sealed, but you will been given the chance to alter what is to come. However, I must warn you. Only one will survive, the other will suffer the fate you see here. Choose well." Before Sakura could question the Akatsuki, he burst into hundreds of crows, their caws cutting through the cold night's air, their feathers fluttering down to the ground. She looked up as the last feather flittered down, and held up her hand, catching the delicate feather in her cupped hands. She pulled her hands down and examined it, the feather course and rough in her hand. It was a crow's feather.

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Sakura sat up in the bed, gasping for breath, her heart frantically beating. She coughed, and tried to calm herself, realizing that it had just been a dream. All around her was dark and quiet, and the only noise to be heard was the occasional whisp of the wind through the leaves outside. Sakura pushed the blankets off and carefully swung her legs over the edge of the bed, easing her feet into some slippers. She stood up, feeling pain in her stomach again, but she ignored it as she walked over to the closet, and slipped on a robe.

She was determined to see Naruto… it felt as though she were being called to him, her heart summoning her to his side. She glanced at the window before slipping out the door, closing it softly behind her. The hospital hallway was desolate and dark, but she felt her way through until her eyes became accostumed to the dim light. Sakura wasn't sure why, but for some reason, she knew exactly where Naruto was. She made her way through the corridors and paused as she reached a door, sliding her hand over it. This was where he was, she knew. She opened the door and slipped into the room, silently closing it behind her.

As she entered, she saw a soft glow of red, the glow of a dangerous chakra that cloaked Naruto. She took a step towards him and paused, watching his breaths, slow and steady, but interrupted by a fit of coughs. Sakura collected her nerves and lightly tiptoed over to the bed in which Naruto lay.

"Naruto…" She said softly, wanting to get closer, but afraid to penetrate the swirling chakra surrounding him. He shifted positions quietly, his face written with pain. It was obvious to Sakura that Naruto was trying to fight back Kyuubi's power, and fighting a losing war. She needed to help him, but how, she did not know. She called his name again, and watched as he coughed, blood spattering across the sheets he laid on. Sakura bit her lip and reached forward, wincing as her hand reached into the threatening clouds of chakra, her skin beginning to crawl and burn. Hiwever, she did not withdraw her hand, she touched Naruto's forehead, hot with fever, before reaching to his shoulder, shaking him lightly.

"Naruto… Naruto, please wake up!" She froze as Naruto's eyes snapped open, red with fury, his pupils small, thin slits. His feral appearance terrified Sakura, but she continued to try to arouse him, ignoring the amount of pain that consumed her hand and arm.

"Naruto!" She spoke again, this time in a frantic whisper.

He woke suddenly, his eyes remaining red, but the chakra receding into his body. His eyes closed and he moaned in pain as the chakra disappeared, leaving his skin raw and bloody. He sat up, coughing up more blood, shaking uncontrollably with pain. Sakura lightly pushed him back into the bed, as Sai had done to her when she had first woken up.

Relieved, Sakura walked over to the sink and filled a small bowl with cold water, and dipped a cloth into it. She then walked over to the bed again, placing the bowl on the floor, and quietly pulled over a chair. Once seated, she reached down, dipping her hands in the cool water and ringing the cloth out, before placing the cold cloth on Naruto's head. He shivered, wincing as she touched his sensitive and feverish skin, but soon relaxed, as the cloth provided comfort. She dressed his wounds, using the cloth to clean the blood and his injuries, before bandaing them up again.

By the time she had finished, the low had sunken low in the sky, and the first traces of light could be seen peeking over the treetops. She sat back in the chair, preparing to stand up, but froze as she saw a shadow, sitting hidden in the corner of the room. Slightly intimidated, she stood up and reached for her kunai pocket. Sakura quietly cursed to herself and picked up the nearest object she could find, a butter knife. She stalked over to the figure, who seemed to be sleeping.

"Who are you?" She hissed as she drew near. The figure jolted and jumped as he noticed Sakura was in front of him with a weapon.

"S-sakura-san! It's me, Tobi!" Tobi frantically waved his hands, trying to stop Sakura, who relaxed and lowered her hand.

"Tobi, what are you doing here?" She asked, slightly peeved that he had not made his presence known. Tobi sighed.

"Deidara-sempai was taken away…. I was alone, and I didn't know what to do… I had to come and find you, and when I did, you were busy, so I didn't want to bother you." He looked sheepishly away. "I-I'm sorry… I would've gone with Deidara, but they knocked him unconscious and I was scared." Tobi's voice quavered slightly, and Sakura could tell that he had been, and still was, terrified.

"Alright, Tobi." She tried to stand up, but found it difficult, a piercing pain shooting through her stomach. "Shit… the medicine's worn off." She muttered to herself, but she staggered to her feet. Tobi stood up and followed her, and, when out in the hallway, she pulled out a key and handed it to Tobi, directing him to go to Naruto's apartment and wait for her there. She watched him leave, then turned and stumbled back into Naruto's room.

Naruto seemed much calmer and more relaxed, his sleep mostly uninterrupted and quiet. Sakura walked lightly over to the bed and checked his pulse, sighing as she found his heartbeat calm and normal, much different than earlier when his beat had been rapid and uneven. She gazed longingly at him, thinking about the real Naruto. She found it hard to think about him without supressing tears, she wanted to see him again. Not Naruto as he was now, an empty shell controlled by a bijuu, but rather his normal self again, constantly jabbering and giggling.

She turned about to leave, but paused and turned back to Naruto. She leaned over him and kissed him on the forehead, before limping back to her own room to rest.

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Deidara leaned against the cold wall of his cell, wincing as the stone brushed against his injury. He sighed and leaned his head back into the wall, closing his eyes and trying to get some sleep, however, he opened an eye as two tall figures appeared in front of his cell. The first was he guard who had locked him up, while the second was a face Deidara did not recognize. The man's face had two long scars sliced across his face, and had an intimidating air around him.

"This is the Akatsuki, Ibiko-sama." The guard bowed to him and left, leaving Ibiko and Deidara in a fixed gaze. Deidara recognized the name, and wasn't pleased to be faced with Konoha's top expert in torture with no weapons. Ibiko stood tall in front of him, and Deidara shuddered as he spoke.

"Akatsuki, eh? It's pretty dangerous for someone such as you to be wandering around Konoha, especially since you were caught with blood all over your cloak and hands. Care to explain?" The cold voice rang through Deidara's ears, but he did not flinch. Instead, he staggered to his feet and stood hunched over, holding his wound, and looking Ibiko straight in the face.

"I've already explained. I took Sakura back to the hospital after she was attacked by Naruto-kun. I didn't know what else to do… I couldn't let her lay there, and Naruto was in bad shape as well. I was planning on getting help from the hospital to get Naruto back there as well-"

"You were planning?" Ibiko cut in, his voice stern and cold.

"Well, yeah. But nobody was there… so I had to go back and get Naruto myself, but when I headed back… well… that's when I was captured." Ibiko slitted his eyes angrily and shoved the key in the lock, turning it slowly.

"If you're not going to cooperate… I guess I'll just make you." He stepped in menacingly, and Deidara felt a shudder down his spine. He sighed and looked out the window beside him. "Sakura-san… Naruto-kun… where are you…?"

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Hey!

Yup! Another chapter done! w I hope you guys like it! I'm personally happy with the way it came out, but we'll see what you think! By the way, guys, this story is almost done! XD As soon as I finish this, I'm going to be continuing with "Jinchuuriki's Journey." If you guys want the first chapter, you're welcome to check it out, I've got it posted and everything! Just let me know what you think, k?

Inuluvr

P.S. I tried to make it a little longer for you, Herooftimes. XD I hope I succeeded! -Doesn't know because she used a smaller font than usual-

Also, you may see a lot of spelling errors and such, it's merely because my spell check isn't working… so, yeah, just le me know:


	28. Preparations for the End

Preparations for the End

Sakura woke again in an unfamiliar place, another full moon illuminating the cold stones on which she lay. She sat up and examined her surroundings; a long hall lit up by small candles and occasional shafts of moonlight, which peeked through small cracks and the few windows provided, stretched before her. She shivered and stood, brushing off her dress before starting down the hallway. As she reached a window, she stopped and leaned on the sill, looking out, surprised as she saw the full beauty of the view. She recognized the village nestled below, but she found her mind hazy as she tried to place the familiarity.

Sighing, she started down the hall again, pausing only a moment to withdraw a kunai from her pouch as she heard soft noises coming from somewhere near, but from where, she could not decipher. She came to a black door, and silently pressed herself against it, straining her ears for any sign of life beyond. After several tense moments, she relaxed and turned the knob, softly opening the door and sliding in.

Sakura felt herself freeze, however, as she noticed a large stone throne, fragmented in various spots. The throne itself did not scare her, but rather the occupant of the eerie chair. The throne was surrounded by candles of black and red, which cast spooky shadows across the Akatsuki's face and clothing, making the atmosphere seem cold and deathly. The Akatsuki member did not shift as she noticed him, but even with his head bowed, she could see a cruel and wicked smile spread across his face. His head rested on his right hand, his fingers curled into a fist and his pinky outstretched, covering his smirk. His other hand was lifted, a black crow balancing delicately on his outstretched fingers.

He lifted his head and looked Sakura in the eyes, his sharingan giving off a soft glow in the low-lit room. She stumbled back, pressing herself against the wall, feeling her heart thumping against her chest, racing with fear. It was him again. Itachi spoke darkly, though a hint of teasing could be detected in his voice.

"Are you truly terrified of that which can not hurt you?" His smirk widened, and his eyes narrowed, two red slits in the darkness. Sakura cautiously lifted the kunai, standing in a defensive stance. Itachi frowned and sighed, "I've not come to hurt you, nor to pick a fight." He stood, and the crow, disturbed by his sudden movement, flapped furiously, and cawed angrily, leaving behind a flurry of feathers. "In fact, I've come to help you." He closed his eyes for a moment, pausing, then opened them again, his usual frown creasing his face. "I've already told you about your fate, as well as my own brother's and Naruto-kun's." He paused a moment, running his hand over one of the old walls, then spoke again, in a distracted whisper. "This place fell to ruins long before the massacre… Such a symbolic place for the battle…"

Sakura gasped and protected her eyes with her arms, as in one single swift movement, he dispersed into thousands of crows, leaving Sakura again with nothing but falling feathers. She reached up again to catch one, but was surprised as it disintegrated at her touch. She walked to the throne and ran her hand over the cold stone. Everything seemed so familiar, even though she knew she had never been here before. A sense of nostalgia washed over her, and she felt awkward, the nostalgia conflicting with the eerie atmosphere. Sakura walked to the back of the throne, brushing dirt off of the crumbling furniture. She froze as she uncovered a bit of color under the thick layer of dust. Quickly, she brushed more of it away, stopping as she recognized the symbol: A red and white sphere with a small white tail. The Uchiha symbol.

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Sakura awoke again in the hospital bed, this time, however, she found herself alone. She sat up, feeling somewhat queasy and pondered about her dream. Itachi… Whose side was he on? He seemed to help her and Naruto, but he still seemed evil. And he referred to the massacre with such deep sadness haunting his voice… Unanswerable questions plagued her mind, and she found it difficult to concentrate on one question at a time. Her thoughts were interrupted, however, as Tsunade came into the room, holding two cups of tea, sighing with relief as she saw Sakura awake.

"Sakura-san… How are you?" Sakura nodded and she came in and sat down next to the bed, handing Sakura a cup of tea before continuing. "I'm glad to hear it. Now… I'd like to know… what exactly happened… and why was an Akatsuki caught with your blood staining his cloak and hands?" Her face darkened angrily. "Did he use you as bait for Naruto?" Sakura shook her head.

"No, he saved me! The one who hurt me was…" She trailed off, not wanting to continue… The thought hurt her more than her actual injury, it pained her to know Naruto had done this. She knew he hadn't meant to, but… Tsunade interrupted her thoughts.

"Sakura-san… Kyuubi did this to you… didn't he…?" Sakura could detect the hint of sorrow in her voice as she said this. Sakura averted her eyes, but nodded, trying to bite back tears. Tsunade sighed and nodded. "That's probably why he's been moping around- he's refused to speak with anyone…" Sakura blinked, returning her gaze to Tsunade.

"You mean…. He's awake? Is he ok?" Tsunade sighed and smiled.

"Yeah, Sakura, he's fine. Well, aside from the fact he doesn't want anything to do with anyone." She sighed. "You did a great job healing him last night… He's doing much better than he was yesterday. You really do make a fine medical ninja." Sakura, surprised by the sudden compliment, blushed and smiled happily.

"Thank you so much, Tsunade-sama! I'm only a good medical nin because you taught me!" Tsunade waved her hand lazily, but smiled. Several quiet moments went by, and Sakura's thoughts returned to her two dreams.

"Tsunade-sama… I have a question…" Tsunade sipped her tea thoughtfully and raised an eyebrow questionably. "What do you know about the power of the Mangekyou sharigan?"

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Shizune burst through the doors of the jail and ran down the hallway, frantically searching for the captive Akatsuki member. Huffing loudly, she slid to a halt at the end, having no success in finding him. The ninja in the nearest cell stood up and walked over to the bars.

"Hey there, pretty lady." He said, wrapping his fingers around a bar and leaning on the door. The man was a young man, with black hair, stark in contrast against his pale skin. "Who're ya looking for? Hopefully not a lover?" Shizune offended, blushed and turned away, about to leave.

"Hey, come back, I was only kiddin' with ya." He smiled as she stopped. "Now, tell me, who're ya looking for?" Shizune sighed, and turned back to him.

"Did you see an Akatsuki member?" The man suddenly turned pale.

"Surely ya haven't come to bust him out? He's a goner for sure." Shizune's eyes widened.

"What do you mean?!? Where is he?!" The man pointed to a door at the other end.

"Ibiko took him in there… I can assure you, he won't come back in good health… that is… only if he's still living." Shizune gasped and ran to the door, rattling the doorknob furiously, and pounding her fists against the hard wood. After Ibiko did not come out, she summoned her chakra to her feet and kicked the door, watching as it splintered to pieces, allowing her to see into the next room.

The room was dark, and Shizune gasped as she took in the sight. Deidara sat slumped in a chair, his hands bound, and blood dripping from his mouth. He looked up weakly at Shizune, his visible eye, normally a bright blue, was now a faded blue, almost gray. Deidara sighed as she came in, struggling to sit back comfortably in the chair. A weak smile formed upon his lips as she rushed over, untying him and helping him stand.

" Sakura-san sent you, I presume?" Shizune nodded, and he sighed in relief. "I'm glad, I'm not sure how much longer I would've lasted… Let me tell you… Ibiko is a very good person to be allied with, but a terrifying menace when he's an enemy." Shizune helped him limp out of the room.

"I'm glad I got here in time…" She said, almost in a whisper. Deidara weakly smiled again.

"Me too…" He sighed, then looked up questioningly at Shizune. "So, how are the two brats, anyway?"

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Sasuke frowned as he saw Karin heading towards him, a goofy smile slapped on her face.

"Juugo-san is back! He says that he got a hold of Itachi, and that Itachi's got a time and place planned for your final battle!" Sasuke frowned.

"I know." He said curtly. "He's left clues about it in more than one place." He stalked off, leaving Karin stunned and feeling rejected again by Sasuke's lack of emotion.

Sasuke rubbed hie temples, walking over to a small stream nearby. He splashed water over his face and sighed, his thoughts concentrated on Itachi. It was Itachi who had made his life a living hell, it was Itachi who had made him so bent on revenge, it was Itachi who had constantly plagued is mind with nightmares. And soon, it would be all over. Itachi would be dead, and he would be free of this hatred that had hung heavily over him all his life. He would be free. He paused a moment. But what would happen if he wasn't able to kill Itachi? What would happen if Itachi were able to hurt him… possible even kill him? Hen his life would have been pointless. All the hatred he would have harbored for nothing.

Sasuke began to doubt himself. It was true that, despite his best efforts, he had been unable to harness the power of the Mangekyou so far… What if-

His thoughts were interrupted as Suigetsu appeared from the bushes, frowning as he saw Sasuke. He bent down and scooped some water and drank some, before looking up at the sky. He sighed, and they both were silent for several moments. However, Suigetsu spoke to Sasuke, his voice calm and neutral.

"If you defeat Itachi… Promise me something…" Sasuke raised an eyebrow inquisitively, but Suigetsu continued. "Promise me… you won't do anything to hurt Karin." Sasuke did not answer Suigetsu, but stood up, about to leave. He paused and turned as he felt Suigetsu's hand on his shoulder. "If you do… I will make sure your life will be a living hell." Sasuke returned Suigetsu's threatening anger with a cool gaze, filled with no feelings. He did not care about Karin, or Suigetsu, and would just as soon kill them. He walked coolly away from Suigetsu, containing his anger, and wandered off to meet up with Juugo.

Suigetsu watched as Sasuke left, and felt rage begin to boil inside him. He wanted nothing more than to kill Sasuke. He didn't know why, but he felt protective of Karin, and felt that if something hurt her, it would be his fault. He wished nothing more than to please her. He sighed, and followed suit to Sasuke's lead, and walking back to the fire to meet with Juugo, and welcome him back.

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Inuluvr here!

Hey, all! Long time no update, huh? Well, not to fear for another chapter is here! (Oh, goodness this one's brain has rotted through for spending several hours on this installment. XD;) Anyway, my stomach hurts, so I think I'm gonna hit the sack after I post this. XD Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this! Oh!

IMPORTANT

I really appreciate all that you guys have done for me, all the faves, alerts, and comments, but I've come to beg on my knees for help. I'm stuck, and the only people that can help me are you guys, my audience! Alright, listen, this is what I need help with:

Do you remember how Kakashi kinda went crazy after meeting with Obito? (I think it was around chapter… 23?) Anyway, Jiraiya tells Tsunade that Kakashi suddenly calmed. But here's the catch- I had a great reason why, but I can't remember! DX I'm begging you to come up with ideas why it might have happened, and send me an explanation by emailing me on Gmail as snakelizarrd. I _**REALLY **_need your help! At this point, if I don't get any ideas… Reversal won't be finished! DX So please, help me out!

Thankies

Inuluvr


	29. The Beginning Of The End

The Beginning of The End

Tsunade frowned, an angry expression casting dark shadows across her face, as her eyes filled with hate, piercing deep into Sakura.

"Sakura… from what you've told me, Itachi is telling you to go to this place, using his sharingan to manipulate you in your sleep… and knowing that bastard…" Tsunade paused for a moment, and they both sat in utter silence, neither wanting to speak.

Sakura reviewed everything Tsunade had told her about the Mangekyou Sharingan, how the power could allow the user into people's dreams to convey messages or manipulate them, and how the power could be used to torture individuals into not sleeping, so they would be vulnerable to attack. But that was just it. Tsunade believed Itachi was beckoning her to her death, it seemed to her that for some reason he wanted Sakura out of the way, and was luring her away. Somehow, though, Sakura knew that wasn't it. She didn't know why she trusted the mass murderer, but for some reason, she felt she could rely on him. However after analyzing her dream, she though of a possible reason; in her dream she had witnessed something she had never seen before. She had noticed a deep sadness in Itachi's eyes as he spoke of his former clan.

Sakura was not sure how to react to this anguish. It seemed to haunt her… the brother who killed his entire clan, leaving nobody but a young boy to live a life of revenge, feeling remorse? Sakura felt the need to speak with him, she had a terrible urge to seek him out, ask him questions. She felt almost as though she was hexed into finding him. She shook her head uneasily.

Perhaps Tsunade was right? Perhaps Itachi was luring her to her death… lurking in the darkness, ready to take her out with a single swipe, or perhaps with a brief glance of his deadly eyes. She sat in her bed pondering these thoughts, which began to mix with thoughts of how she might be able to get to the set meeting place. After describing her dream, still vivid in her mind, to Tsunade, they had been able to decipher the setting: The Uchiha shrine. She wanted to go, but at the same time, she felt nervous. She wanted to just disappear, and arrive alone before the Uchiha, but she wanted Naruto by her side to help her. She wanted the best for Naruto, but curiosity tugged at her, and she began to come to a conclusion. She opened her mouth to declare her decision, but was interrupted by the harsh and stern voice of Tsunade.

"Sakura, I refuse to let you go." Sakura blinked, letting out a small gasp. How had she known… "And especially not with Naruto. I worry about you both, and the last thing you need is to be tangled up with Itachi. He's not someone you want to meet, never mind someone you'd want to speak with alone." Sakura began to protest, but Tsunade's angry voice overpowered her. "I will **not** let you go!" Tsunade thrust her chair back as she stood up, sending the chair careening into the wall, just as Shizune had come into the room with two cups of tea. Taken by surprise, Shizune jumped, dropping the tea, and soaking not only her clothes, but the surrounding carpet as well. Tsunade, taking no notice of the distraught Shizune who had tumbled in from the hallway, stalked out of the room, slamming the door violently behind her.

Sakura quickly scrambled out of bed and helped Shizune to her feet, watching as she brushed off her now-soaked dress. She sighed and looked at Sakura with worry.

"What's wrong now?" Sakura shook her head and told Shizune about her argument with Tsunade, as she helped Shizune clean up the mess. Shizune stopped cleaning half way through her story and sat up, with her head bowed, and her hair covering her eyes.

"Sakura… I think…. You should act based on your instinct. I trust your instinct. That and-" Shizune cut herself off, looking away for a moment, before meeting with Sakura's eyes. "That, and Tsunade has been worried about you and Naruto… And she doesn't want you to go alone… and…well… I know I shouldn't tell you this, but she doesn't plan on letting Naruto out of the hospital for a while. She's planning on sacrificing her life…. To bring back his…"

Sakura froze and let out a small gasp. Shizune nodded, and continued to wipe up the last bit of the stain. She stood without speaking, and began to head out the door, but paused, her hand on the doorknob.

"Sakura-san… I suggest… if you do it, do it tonight… Tsunade's going to be gone, and I'll be in charge. But before you do, let Naruto-kun know. I'm sure he'll want a say in this." However, before leaving, a sudden smile sparked across her face. "Ah! I almost forgot! The Akatsuki member… Deidara, was it? I found him! It took a lot of explaining to convince Ibiki-san, but he's ok now." Her smile faded, though, as she spoke again. "He wasn't in the best condition, but we got him out of there… he's in a room just down the hall right now, but I'm afraid you can't speak with him… He needs all the rest he can get."

Shizune frowned, seeing that Sakura was still preoccupied with Tsunade. She opened the door and smiled weakly, before slipping out into the hallway, and softly shutting the door behind her.

Sakura stood up and sat back on her bed, tired from moving so much. She was happy that eidara was ok, but she was more worried about getting to talk to Itachi. She wanted to take the rest of the day to relax, but Shizune was right, she needed to tell Naruto about her plan. Sakura laid herself down, resting, for she was not completely recovered from her injuries. However, she only allowed herself to rest for a short time, watching as the shafts of sunlight on her bed began to fade, the sun sinking slowly below the horizon. When she had regained her energy, she slipped out of her room, and headed to Kyuubi's room.

Sakura opened the door to his room softly, and slid into the room, leaving the door behind her slightly ajar, for the room was dark, and the only light source was that from the hallway.

"Kyuubi?" She called to him, keeping her voice low and soft, but steady. He did not respond, but in the dim light, she could see his form on the bed. He sat hugging his knees, his eyes fixed on the blank wall ahead of him. She made her way over, and placed one of her hands on his shoulder, calling his name again. However, instead of replying, Kyuubi shrugged off her hand and continued to stare at something invisible to Sakura.

"I'm so sorry… Sakura-san…I…I really am… a monster…" He buried his head into his clothes, and Sakura could see his shoulders shake slightly as he choked, trying to suppress sobs. Sakura drew back her hand, and knelt beside Kyuubi's bed, wrapping her arms around him, and consoling him with soothing words.

"Kyuubi-kun… I forgive you… You didn't mean to, I know. And no, Kyuubi… you are not the monster… Sasuke is. He's the one who started this mess, not you. Everything is his fault, not yours. But I have a plan to end it all… that's why I'm here." She spoke softly to him, and after several moments, his sobbing subsided, and he finally met her eyes. He wiped away tears and listened intently as Sakura explained her plan to him. When Sakura was done explaining everything, he had returned his gaze to the blank wall, his brow furrowed as he thought.

"My fighting may be hindered, since this body is still weak, but if we can end it soon... Sakura did not respond, but nodded, and bode her farewell until later that night, when they would set out together for the final battle.

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A beautiful blood-red moon, full and spectacular, illuminated the night, but it was ominous, as it was the color of the blood that was soon to be spilled. Two silhouettes slipped through the village, weaving between walls, and leaping from roof to roof. They slid past a cracked wall with a faded Uchiha symbol, and the first paused, whispering lightly to the second.

"This is the way… I don't know why… but for some reason, I know this place… Itachi is in the hideout, but I'm not exactly sure where it is in this village…" The second nodded, and pulled out a kunai, wielding it to protect not only himself, but also his partner.

"This place always gives me the creeps…." He said, before creeping after his comrade, his step more of a stagger than a steady walk. After a few moments, he stopped, and leaned against the wall of a nearby house, too tired to continue on. His partner paused, seeing him slumped against the wall, and with a slight twinge of aggravation, walked back over to him.

"Are you going to be ok? I can go it alone from here, Kyuubi-kun. There's really no need for you to come." Kyuubi shook his head.

"I'll be fine… plus, don't forget… you're meeting with Itachi. There's no way I'm letting you go by yourself." Sakura sighed, and helped Kyuubi to his feet, letting him lean heavily on her. She knew he was weak, and wished he would just stay back. If a fight broke out, she would not only have to protect herself, but also him. Even though she was happy to have someone beside her, he was a hindrance to her as well.

Sakura scanned the village questioningly, trying to decide, if she were an Uchiha, where would she hide the secret Uchiha shrine? After all, it was the storage room where all the Uchiha files were kept, including some of the darkest secrets of the former clan. She walked over to several houses, pushing open the deteriorating doors, and glancing through the dusty and cracked windows.

Sakura thought back to Kyuubi's previous comment, the Uchiha village was definitely an eerie setting. Even though it was dark because it was night, the village seemed to have a thick, and heavy air that lingered ominously overhead, making it even more dark and mysterious. The houses, neglected for many years, were now a dull gray, the stone weathered and crumbling, and the windows fractured in innumerable places. The gardens, that had once been beautiful and elegant, were choked with weeds, and the surrounding walls were splattered with old stains of blood, probably, Sakura guessed, from the last time the village had been inhabited, from before the massacre. She shivered, thinking about the massacre, and for the first time in a while, she was scared, knowing that in a short amount of time, she would be face to face with a sinister killer, someone who had dispatched an entire clan within one bloody night.

Sakura walked cautiously to the back of a house, Kyuubi still leaning heavily on her, and opened another door, briefly glancing in, before continuing on.

"Oi, Sakura… I don't think we'll be able to find it on our own… we're going to need to find help, somehow." Sakura shook her head, but froze suddenly, hearing rustling behind them. Kyuubi seemed to hear it too, for he stopped, and seemed to be listening carefully. Several tense moments passed, and both stood in utter silence, listening for any sign of life. Everything seemed quiet, and all she could hear was her heart thumping rapidly against her chest, and Naruto's heavy breath.

Then, suddenly, a hand landed heavily on Sakura's shoulder, and she yelped as it pulled her back, and an arm wrapped around her neck. She struggled desperately to get free, terror filling her thoughts, but to no avail, for the arm held fast.

"Heh, you should see the look on your face!" Sakura stopped struggling as soon as she recognized the voice, and both anger and relief replaced her terror. She pulled away, frowning at the blonde who now smiled, sticking his tongue out at her.

"Damn, if you weren't on my side-" She stopped, hearing giggling behind her. She turned to see Tobi, who was now supporting a very disheveled-looking Kyuubi. "How did you both-" Deidara laughed.

"We've got our ways, un." Sakura smiled softly, she could not stay angry at the two, and she was relieved to see them both safe. Deidara frowned and watched as Kyuubi returned to Sakura's side, still leaning heavily on her, his eyes flickering between red and blue. "You've lost a lot of chakra. You should not be out here… it's easy to see that you're in no state to be out and wandering around. He turned back to Sakura. "Speaking of which, what are you doing here, anyway?" Sakura explained to Tobi and Deidara about her dreams, and how Itachi had beckoned her to the Uchiha shrine. Deidara listened intently to Sakura and his expression darkened as she spoke of how she had seen a sadness in Itachi's eyes.

"Itachi… that bastard…he's manipulated you into coming here. I think you should leave. With Kyuubi in this state, it was stupid for you to have come." Deidara stood, and began instructed Sakura and Kyuubi to leave, but neither moved. Tobi stepped forward, and spoke to Deidara in a voice, much more serious than either Sakura or Kyuubi had ever heard from him.

"Deidara-sempai, they came at their own accord. I think they should speak with Itachi if they want to." Deidara glared at Tobi, but did not respond. Sakura sighed.

"Thank you Tobi… but there's one problem… we have no idea where the shrine entrance is…" Tobi sighed, and pulled off his mask, chucking it onto the ground.

"You seem to forget one thing- I'm an Uchiha." He smiled, and scratched his head. "Though, I must admit, I don't remember much about the village. It's so… different." He glanced briefly around the desolate streets. "I remember it being so much… busier… there was always a constant bustle. Kids running around and playing with the stray dogs…" Tobi trailed off, reminiscing about his former clan. "Although… I can't blame Itachi for what he did…"

Sakura did not say anything, but shot a questioning look at Tobi, but he ignored it, averting his one good eye from her. He sat down on a nearby porch and scanned the destitute streets again.

"I don't…. remember… any of this…" He rubbed his head, then sighed, looking up at the night sky. "I suppose this means I'll have to reactivate my sharingan…Maybe then, I'll remember." He stood up, and created a seal, concentrating his chakra. The air around him began to swirl, and dust began to encircle him, his chakra strengthening as he gathered all the energy he had. He closed his eyes and furrowed his brow in concentration. Suddenly, a wave of air washed over the other three, his chakra dispersing. He fell to his knee.

"Sh-shit… I don't have enough power to reawaken my sharingan… I need my other eye… but that's impossible… because…. Kakashi… wouldn't help me… he doesn't trust me…" Tobi breathed heavily. "Shit… I just used a good bit of my chakra…" Sakura knelt beside Tobi, helping him to his feet.

"We have to get Kakashi… there's no other way to get to the shrine!" However, as she spoke, an ANBU member appeared a few feet away.

"I heard there were some ninjas snooping around the Uchiha village, and I was ordered to check it out… you four, however, were the last ninjas I expected to see here." The ANBU's voice was familiar, and he removed his mask to reveal a familiar face, a young nin with two colored eyes, one black, and one a bright red.

"Kakashi-kun!" Sakura leaped up in excitement, but Tobi looked up at the nin with resentment. Deidara sighed, recognizing the nin who had attacked him but a little while ago. Sakura continued. "Kakashi-kun, we need your help!" Kakashi nodded, and sighed.

"I know." He turned to Tobi, sadness filling his eyes. "I… I'm sorry… Obito… please… I didn't realize it was really you until it was too late…" Tobi nodded in understanding.

"It doesn't matter now. What's been done is in the past. Right now, you can repay me with helping me. I need your eye, for just a moment. And probably, some of your chakra as well. Kakashi nodded. "Ok… here's what we'll do… Kakashi, I need you to concentrate all of your chakra into your sharingan eye, and think about unlocking it, as though it weren't permanently unlocked." Kakashi nodded, and began to concentrate his chakra. Tobi followed suit, and soon, both had immense amounts of chakra swirling around. Then, suddenly, the chakra exploded, as Tobi opened his eye, revealing his awakened sharingan.

Smiling, Tobi scanned the streets for a third time.

"I see it now… I see it all!" He shot down the street, and slid, taking a left. "It's this way, I remember it!" Sakura darted after him, Kyuubi with her, followed by Deidara and Kakashi. They followed Tobi into a large house, and down the stairs into the cellar. There, he unlocked a secret door, and slid into it.

As Sakura entered the secret passage, she stopped dead in her tracks, instantly recognizing the hallway from her dream.

"Th-this is it! This is the passage that leads to the throne room!" She felt herself fill with excitement. They were finally here, they had found it! She stepped forward, and looked back at her companions. Kakashi smiled, and looked away.

"I must leave now… I must report back to Tsunade and tell her that the four ninjas were nothing more than a few kids… Be careful. I'd help you with this battle, but I feel that it is yours to be won… Be wary of that which lies ahead…" And with that, Kakashi was gone, disappearing with a bright flash.

Sakura turned back to the long hallway, looking at the shafts of moonlight illuminating the way. She walked slowly to the end of the hallway, careful to tread lightly across the stone. When she reached the door, an overwhelming feeling of excitement washed over her.

This was it… She could feel it… This was the battle they had been anticipating… this was the end.

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Oooh! I'm getting so excited, in two chapters, I will be finished with this story! X3

It'll be the first Fanfiction I've ever completed! Anyway, as I told my beta… I've set a goal to be finished before Christmas! So, I hope to update soon! X3

Ah, but before I finish up, I want to thank you all for the comments, faves and alerts! I really appreciate the support[Insert heart here

Inuluvr


	30. The Final Battle

The Final Battle

As Sakura opened the door, the moonlight flooded into the dark room, and the stone floor glowed with the soft light. Excitement leaped inside of her as she scanned the room. Despite the lack of light, she could see the silhouette of the large throne, the exact one from her dream. As her eyes adjusted, however, she felt her spirits crash to misery and fear. Blood was smeared on the ground, and splattered on the wall. Sakura fell against the wall, leaning heavily in shock, as Deidara, Tobi, and Kyuubi stood in awe.

"What the hell happened here?" Kyuubi hissed, pulling out a kunai and slinking over to the blood. He dragged his fingers in the sticky substance and smeared it between his fore finger and thumb, narrowing his eyes. "It's warm… newly spilled blood." The other three tensed as Kyuubi stood, his eyes a fiery red. "There's been a battle, but it seems to have ended, since we haven't heard any-"

Kyuubi cut himself off and froze, standing stiffly. Sakura opened her mouth to speak, but Kyuubi held up a hand to keep her quiet. All the nins listened closely, and a sudden clash of metal interrupted the silence. All four of the nins jumped at the sudden sound, and the other three drew out their own kunai as Kyuubi led the group around the throne to the half of the room shrouded in darkness. As they walked, Sakura tripped and fell, and upon further inspection, she realized she had stumbled on a small crow. When she had examined the crow, she found to her disgust that it was covered in blood, its neck snapped, and its head lolling sickeningly to the side.

"Itachi… he's in trouble!" Sakura gasped, fear paralyzing her body, as terror fiddled with her mind. What would they find? Would Itachi be killing someone, or dead himself? Sakura closed her eyes, and slowly blew out air through her mouth, attempting to console her reeling mind. She felt her body tremble, and she jumped, surprised as Kyuubi placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. She glanced back at him and nodded, feeling slightly better. She brushed her hand against the wall, feeling blindly for a door in the darkness.

She stopped dead in her tracks as she felt her hand come in contact with wood, instead of the cold stone of the wall. Sakura beckoned to the others, and pushed on the door, tensing as it slowly creaked open. When the door opened, the four nins could see two black figures leaping at one another, loud clashes of metal echoing throughout the room. The first figure held a long sword, while the second, slightly taller than the first, brandished a small kunai. It was apparent the kunai was not enough of a defense, for when the first figure slashed madly at the second, the taller figure collapsed. The first figure grasped the second by the collar and sent him across the room, into a wall.

Before Kyuubi could stop her, Sakura had burst into a sprint towards the fallen nin. Sakura was almost sure she knew who it was. She was almost positive she knew…. It was Itachi.

"Stop! Please!" She slid to a stop in front of the injured nin, blocking a powerful blow from the sword-wielding nin. Her attacker pulled his sword back, and stumbled away, a surprised look on his face. "Please… he's not evil… don't hurt him. Please don't hurt Itachi!" Sasuke's face twisted into an uncontrollable rage, and Sakura felt fear simmer up inside of her.

"Why the hell are you here?" Sasuke glared at her, his cold eyes piercing her, his tone deadly and unmoved. She opened her mouth to speak, but felt her voice catch in her throat as her eyes locked with his. "Why…. Do you protect this man? If you do this, Sakura, I will kill you. You no longer mean anything to me, and I will feel no remorse removing you from this world, just as I did with your teammate."

"Sasuke… please… listen to me…" Sakura pleaded with him, tears welling in her eyes, as she thought of how he had changed. She knew now, after witnessing how he had been able to slice down his own teammate with his sword so easily, that he could, and would do the same to her. However, she did not flinch as he gripped the sword tighter.

"I… said… MOVE!" Sasuke's movements were almost impossible to follow, and Sakura had not realized she had been hit until she had skidded across the room, a trail of blood following her. However, being the trained ninja she was, she had been able to dodge a fatal blow, and was only scratched slightly on her arm.

When Deidara, Tobi, and Kyuubi saw Sasuke's hand flinch, they all knew what was coming, and by the time Sakura had hit the floor, Deidara and Tobi had leaped in the air, tackling and restraining Sasuke, while Kyuubi dashed over to help Sakura.

Sakura pushed herself off the ground, wincing as a sharp pain ran up her arm. She knelt, her hand going instinctively to her injury, as she soothed it with a healing chakra. Kyuubi leaped over to her, and watched cautiously as she addressed her wound.

"Sakura… are you ok?" She nodded, and stood, but a sudden dizziness overcame her, and she fell, hitting her head on the stone floor, as everything flashed white, before nothingness enveloped her.

"Sakura!" Kyuubi ran over to her, and knelt beside her. "What did you do, you bastard? What did you do to her?!?" Sasuke, still struggling to get away from Deidara and Tobi, smiled, his face twisting into an evil grin.

"Kyuubi-kun…. You're not the only one with poisonous chakra." Kyuubi narrowed his eyes, a bloody chakra beginning to form around him. His entire body began to tremble with anger, and he stood, a bloody red Rasengan forming in his left hand. Enraged, he ran at Sasuke, and before either Deidara or Tobi could stop him, he plunged his hand into flesh, smiling as blood slid down his arm, before plittering to the ground below.

"Sa…su…" But the ninja could not finish her sentence. She reached her hand weakly to Naruto's arm, her eyes brimming with tears. Naruto returned the kunoichi's gaze with a horrified one, realizing what he had done. She seemed to want to say something, but with one final shudder, her body went limp. Naruto retracted his arm and stumble back, shock filling his anger. The girl's body slid to the ground, her eyes fixed blankly on nothingness.

"Karin!" A second nin, with short silver hair ran over to the body crumpled on the ground. He scooped her into his arms, and held her close to him, his own eyes filling with tears. "Karin… no…" A low chuckling brought all eyes to Sasuke, who had stopped struggling when Naruto had charged.

"Heh…She was useful in the end…. She served her purpose well. Nothing more than a tool, and since she loved me, she was easy to manipulate." Sasuke looked down on his teammates, an evil smile spread across his face. "Nothing more… than a tool, Suigetsu... just like you." At this, the silver haired ninja narrowed his eyes, and lay Karin's body on the ground.

"Karin…. I'm… so sorry…" He stood, and walked over to Sakura, who still lay unconscious on the ground. He knelt beside her, and took out a kunai, before turning to Kyuubi. "You take care of Sasuke… I'll help her." Kyuubi, recovered from the shock of hitting the wrong target, nodded and turned to face Sasuke. This was it. This was the final battle.

"Deidara, Tobi. Let go of Sasuke. I want to fight this fairly. I want no advantage. I want to avenge all the lives that have been lost in this struggle, and I want to do it my way." Kyuubi watched as Sasuke wrenched himself free of their grasp, and returned his gaze.

"You'll regret this, Kyuubi. I'll make your death slow and painful, then, I'll kill Sakura, and everyone else here, before you die, so you can see all your friends fall. You'll lay in their blood." He frowned, his eyes averting to Itachi. "Then I'll kill that bastard. He'll regret everything he ever did, but most of all, I'll make him suffer the pain I suffered so long ago."

Itachi, who had watched everything unfold in silence smiled weakly, looking up at the two nins, ready to fight each other to the death.

"Perhaps, foolish brother… if you had tried to understand…"

"Understand what?" Sasuke snapped, glaring angrily at his older brother. "What is there to understand? I know everything… you were merely testing your power… it was unprovoked!" Itachi sighed, and gazed up at his brother.

"I am not the one you should detest… Konoha was going to fall… our clan had planned it… they planned to _murder_ everyone, down to the last child… the reason I killed Shisui… was because he was the head… He had decided it all… I killed him to stop the war… I only stumbled upon the power of the mangekyou by chance… I never… intended… to kill everyone… but… something happened… it was… an accident…" Itachi closed his eyes and sighed, his injuries beginning to affect him. "I did everything I could… to protect Minato… Yondaime… and Kushina… it was my duty…"

"Don't you dare die on me, you bastard. I have to kill you with my own hands." Sasuke growled threateningly, but he did not move. Instead, he slid his attention over to Naruto. In one swift movement, he had withdrawn a kunai and dashed at Naruto, slashing madly at his former teammate.

Sakura opened her eyes as the poison bled from her body, a silver-haired nin looking distractedly down at her. She jumped as she saw a kunai in her hand, and felt uncomfortable pangs of pain in her arm. She realized after a second what had happened. She thanked the nin softly, but he responded only with a distant nod of the head, before turning and walking mournfully over to a body on the ground. She could see his shoulders shake as he pressed his head against hers, tears streaming freely from his eyes.

Sakura soon turned her attention to a clanging noise in the background. She could see Kyuubi and Sasuke, darting at each other, skillfully dodging each other's attacks and parrying with their own. Both seemed to fight strongly, and they seemed equal in strength, but as the fight wore on, Sakura could see Kyuubi weakening at a much faster rate.

Sasuke leaped into the air, throwing kunai, and landed as he swung his fist at Kyuubi's face. Kyuubi, however, countered by ducking and sliding his foot under, trying to a trip Sasuke. Neither attempt pulled through successfully, though as both retreated to opposite sides of the room, bruises began to appear on their hands and legs. They leaped at each other again, and Sasuke released a rainfall of shuriken, which battered Kyuubi. Taking Kyuubi's weakness as an advantage, he swiftly drew his sword, and smiling, plunged it deep into Kyuubi's heart.

Kyuubi fell to the ground, and did not move. He lay motionless, blood soaking his orange clothes, and Sasuke walked over to him, smiling wickedly. He grasped the hilt of the sword, and twisted it, cackling evilly as Kyuubi cringed, crying out as the sword ripped through his skin.

"Don't you dare give up yet, Kyuubi, this is just the beginning. This is nothing like the hell I had to live through." Kyuubi coughed up blood, and grabbed the blade with his hand, watching as blood slid down the silver blade, dripping rubies.

"No… I won't give up… not… yet…" Kyuubi, who had been forming a Rasengan, thrust his hand into Sasuke's chest, watching as the surprised nin stumbled back before falling beside his former comrade.

Sakura ran to them, her heart thumping rapidly. This was the final battle Itachi had spoken of… it was time for her to decide which of her friends she would rescue. She stood, helpless. She would have to make the decision, then carry out a terrible technique. A variation of the technique Chiyo Baa-san had used to save Gaara, yet many times worse. She knew it was the only way to save Naruto… to take Sasuke's life chakra and replace Naruto's with it. Sakura, not wanting to hurt either of her friends, stood frozen with fear. She would have to choose between the two. She would have to kill one to save the other…

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Kyuubi opened his eyes to find himself in the prison of Naruto's mind. Realizing what had just happened, he jumped to his feet and rushed to the gate. He gazed beyond the bars and felt fear grip him to see Naruto's floating soul slowly begin to fade. Kyuubi panicked… Naruto… was dying.

Desperately, he tensed himself… it was all up to Sakura… he would have to release the seal, so she could replace Naruto's lost life, but Naruto's soul would fade at a quicker rate. Fearing the outcomes, Kyuubi closed his eyes, then leaped at the seal, ripping it off the gates.

A sudden warm chakra flooded over Kyuubi, a chakra he had not felt for a long time. Naruto's human chakra. Suddenly, Kyuubi found himself no longer in control of Naruto's body, he felt detached, as he slowly seemed to be dragged into darkness.

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Sakura gasped as Naruto opened his eyes, and tried to speak. She rushed to his side and tried to calm him.

"Kyuubi-kun you're ok, I'm going to save you… please, it's going to be ok…" She spoke soothingly, and stroked his head to calm him.

"S…Sakura-san… I'm not…. Kyuubi…" Sakura stifled a gasp.

"Naruto!" He turned to look at her, his blue eyes burdened with a great sadness.

"I know…. Sakura… what you have to do…. to get my life back….. Please… don't…" Sakura shook her head.

"Naruto, I promise I'll help you! Just calm yourself." Naruto's eyes flickered.

"Sakura… please… don't kill him…. Kill… me…" Sakura froze, her heart beating rapidly. Naruto wanted to die, rather than kill his friend? What should she do?

Naruto had been murdered by his friend, and yet, after going to drastic measures to keep himself alive, he wanted nothing more than to die, while his treacherous friend lived, by taking his life a second time? She shook her head, tears beginning to cloud her vision.

She stifled a sob as she made her decision, and walked over to her teammate. It all seemed unreal… So very, very, unreal.

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Hey guys!

Long time no post, nee? Yesh! One more chapter, and I'm done with this story! I apologize for the angsty-ness in this chapter… Damn, it's angst-ful. Sorry it took so long to update… my computer died, and then my grades began to go down the toilet, and things just kinda went like that. D:

Anyway, I hope you enjoy it!


	31. The Aftermath

The Aftermath

Dark clouds cloaked the skies and loomed over Konoha, and heavy drops of rain plummeted to the earth below, pounding on the rooftops. The normal bustle of the village was dead; the markets were deserted other than a few stragglers heading swiftly for shelter, and the main streets were desolate and lonely. All the villagers seemed to be mourning the loss of one of the best shinobis who had ever lived. Nobody laughed. Nobody even spoke. But only few actually cried. Many of the villagers, though they empathized with Sakura, were secretly happy. With the shinobi dead, there was no danger looming ominously over them, as it had for such a long time… the monster had been slain.

Sakura was one of the few who cried. Though her friends did the best to comfort her, she could not shake the terrifying image of her dying teammate, as she had taken his life chakra; an indescribable emotion haunting his eyes in his final moments. Even after several days, everything was vivid and fresh in her mind, and she felt as though she relived the moment everyday; as though time in itself had stopped, and she was trapped. She wanted to go back in time and stop it all from happening… wanted nothing more than to return to the past, before any of this had happened, when she had been in the academy; when everything had been an exciting adventure, and every story ended happily. But she knew now, living the life of a shinobi, that not every story ended happily. She knew this now, and only wished she had understood it earlier.

The rain pounded on her shoulders as she knelt, facing the cold stone protruding from the ground. She studied her teammate's name closely, brushing her hand over the rough rock, assuring herself it wasn't just a dream, as it seemed. Dazedly, she stood, her hair plastered to her face, and her clothes clinging to her form. She brushed her hair behind her ear and shook, sobbing helplessly, as the cold slowly seeped into her bones. Her tears mixed with the rain from above, sliding smoothly down her face and dripping off her nose, and falling to the ground below. She began to shiver, as the air grew colder, and the wind picked up. It was time for her to leave. To return to the hospital for the night, where she would stay by her other teammate's side, waiting.

It had been several days since the final battle, and she had fallen quickly into this routine, for her friend, whom she had saved from the brink of death, had slipped into a comatose state. Tsunade had done everything she could, to keep the boy awake, but she had been unable to help him. His injuries had been serious, and now, as Tsunade had said told her, it was up to him; he would have to fight it himself. He would decide his own fate, and neither of them could do anything, but have faith in him. Sakura had taken this to heart, and had sat beside his bed every night, holding his hand, and calming him as nightmares overtook his calm sleep. Often he would suddenly thrash, and a few times, he had cried out, sobbing uncontrollably. Sakura would quickly call his name, assuring him he was ok, and that everything would be alright again, and he would calm, returning to his noiseless sleep.

Sakura forced herself away from her friend's grave, and staggered through the abandoned streets. She paused as she passed Ichiraku Ramen, and turned away, fresh tears stinging her eyes. She continued, and the streets ahead began to darken. She stopped again, and slowly raised her head to the crying sky, letting the rain splash away her tears. Her thoughts drifted away, and she soon found herself thinking of all those she may never see again. She was jolted out of her thoughts as a loud crash echoed through the streets, and a streak of lightening cracked across the sky. Through her tears, she felt a small laugh arise, as she though back to her friends.

"Deidara… Tobi…" She whispered their names; the two she really couldn't stay mad at for very long. Deidara with his sharp tongue, but his hidden affection, and Tobi with his child-like innocence, and his constant giggle. She missed them dearly, and wished to see them again, but knew all too well that it was not likely.

They had stayed in the village for a few days, letting their battle wounds heal a little before setting out. While they had been in Konoha, they had comforted Sakura as she mourned, and mourned the loss of their own. For shortly after the battle, Itachi had passed on, taking his many secrets to the grave with him. And even though Deidara had hated Itachi, he told Sakura it was only proper for the Akatsuki to mourn their member's deaths. However, after three days, they decided it was time to move on, time to leave. Tsunade had offered to let them stay in Konoha, in return for their help, but they declined, knowing all too well that the Akatsuki would soon come to find them.

On the day they left, they stood at the entrance gates at Konoha, and bode farewell to Sakura. Tobi had been in good spirits, bouncing around cheerfully, anticipating the journey ahead, while Deidara leaned against the wall, watching Tobi silently. When she had come up to meet them, Tobi had rambled on about how he planned to travel to the many villages, and how he would evade the Akatsuki like an S-ranked nin. She had smiled at Tobi's enthusiasm, but she turned worriedly to Deidara, who remained quiet, deep in thought. While an unknown rustling in the leaves nearby distracted Tobi, Sakura had walked over to Deidara and questioned him about his silence. He shrugged off the question, and looked Sakura seriously in the eye.

"You do realize we're probably never going to come back, un." He had said this so hollowly, it had surprised Sakura, but she nodded, and lowered her eyes.

"How long… do you think they'll look for you?" Deidara shifted uncomfortably, and sighed.

"Probably until they find us… and with him…" He nodded at Tobi. "We won't last long." Sakura glanced at Tobi, then returned her gaze at Deidara.

"Then why don't you stay here, in Konoha? You would be much safer, and-" Deidara shook his head, cutting Sakura off.

"No. We'd endanger the entirety of Konoha. If we get caught, I'd much rather do it in a place where less people would get hurt." Silence followed, and they both watched as Tobi leaped at the bushes, chasing out a small cat that had been playing in the leaves.

"What… what do you think will happen… if you get caught?" She had tried to push her fear back, assuring herself that the Akatsuki needed all their members, and would only drag the other two back, hopefully without hurting either of them. Deidara had closed his eyes and sighed heavily.

"I'd guess that if we're lucky, we'll only have out memories sealed away, un… we'll probably forget everything that happened. And if we ever came up against you again…" He had trailed off, and gazed sadly at the forest surrounding the village. Sakura remembered his last sentence vividly.

"It's a shame… I always wanted to belong to a village like this one… but it seems, that it'll never happen."

Lowering her head to gaze at the street, Sakura continued on, until she passed the Uchiha Clan's village. Again, tears burned her eyes, and she turned her head away, but this time, she couldn't fight the impulse to run, so she did. Her feet splashed in the puddles as they carried her through the village, and she could feel her heart beat rapidly against her chest.

_Naruto… Sasuke! _She kept running, even as the gates disappeared from her view, letting her tears whip behind her. She slowed only when she reached the hospital doors, where she leaned against the wall to catch her breath and wipe away her tears before she went in.

When she entered, the hospital was silent and abandoned, and the only sound was the patter of the rain on the roof as she made her way to the room where her friend slept. She pushed the door open, averting her eyes from the bed. It was too painful to look at him, because when she did, she felt her heart ache with worry and loneliness, for she knew, if he passed on, she would be left alone.

Sakura lifted her eyes to the bed, and felt a gasp catch in her throat. Through the dark, she could see him; he was sitting upright, his head bent, and his eyes focused on nothingness. Sakura called out his name, feeling tears well up inside her. But these were new tears. These were tears of relief and happiness.

"N…. Naruto! You're awake!" She felt her heart leap with joy, seeing the young nin conscious, and she smiled through her tears. But something was wrong. As Sakura wrapped her arms around him, sobbing happily into his shoulder, he said nothing. He did not smile, and he did not return the affection. Sakura backed away from her teammate and questioned him, troubled.

He did not respond; he merely slid his cerulean blue eyes to the side, gazing out at the storm through the glass of his window.

"Naruto… what's wrong?" Sakura looked desperately at him, waiting for him to smile, laugh as though it were all a joke, as though life itself was a joke. But he gave no such response. Instead, he drew his knees to his chin and rested his head, staring at the pounding ran outside.

"Naruto… Answer me! Naruto!" Sakura's voice wavered as she called him again, and she lightly placed her hand on his shoulder, trying to wake the blonde from his non-responsive daze.

"Na-" Sakura started, but was abruptly cut off by Naruto's cold voice, a voice that sliced through her like a knife.

"Shut up." Naruto spoke softly but sharply, without removing his eyes from the cold rain outside. Sakura's eyes widened as he said this; she had never heard him say it with such… ferocity.

"What's wr-" Sakura tried again, but the blonde stopped her.

"Leave me alone!" Sakura, taken aback by this sudden outburst, remained silent. "Get out." He said shortly, as she stepped back, dumbfounded by the boy's hostility. "I said GET OUT!" He glared angrily at her, his eyes filled with hate, and she began to cry.

"Naruto, please!" She reached for him, but he smacked her hand away, glowering at her, eyes intense.

"Get away from me, Sakura." He tensed, watching as she stepped backwards, away from him, before whispering his name, choking on her sobs.

"Naruto…" She lifted her teary eyes to see his shoulders shaking with his own muffled sobs. "Naruto… what's happened to you? Where's the Naruto I know…?" Naruto watched a drop of rain race down the windowpane.

"The Naruto you know, Sakura… is long dead. He died when he took the life of his best friend; when he failed to fulfil his promise." He closed his eyes, smiling weakly through his tears. "That Naruto was weak… and he had foolish dreams that were never possible." He laughed shortly, letting another tear roll down his cheek as he opened his eyes. "That Naruto was naïve enough to believe the village could care about a monster such as himself."

"No… Naruto… you're wrong!" Sakura spoke unsteadily, choking on her sobs, as she tasted the salt of her tears. "Naruto! There are so many… who care for you! Please… come back!" She let her tears fall freely as she said this, but her plead was met by another curt laugh.

" Come back to what? The villager's hatred? Name one who actually cares. Name one who actually liked me, who would really want me back. One who is truly happy that I lived." Naruto narrowed his eyes as she spoke, her voice wavering.

"I am, Naruto… I want you back… and… and it's because…. I… I… love you. You were always by my side… and without you…" Naruto's eyes widened with surprise, but he looked away, and they filled with a deep sadness.

"How… How can you love a monster like me? Someone who isn't human, someone who is a demon, detested and feared by everyone?" He spoke in a hateful tone, letting tears spill from his cerulean eyes. "Someone who killed his first friend."

"No! Naruto! You're not the monster… he was. And you didn't kill him…" She stepped toward him. "…I did…" She paused for a moment, before continuing. "I didn't know how… how I'd live without you…" Naruto met her eyes before closing them; he suddenly felt different… he couldn't describe it, but somehow, he felt that all the hatred meant nothing. He felt content, yet somehow, he was still burdened with a great sadness. In a swift moment, it seemed as though he was finally a normal human, as though what lay beneath had been banished, and the hatred had fled with it.

"Thank you..." He opened his eyes again, and returned his gaze to the rain outside. A moment of silence followed, and the rain continued to pound heavily on the windowpane. A streak of lightening lit the room, and a loud crack of thunder shattered the silence. Naruto turned his gaze heavenward and let his lips curve into a slight smile. "It's almost…. As though the sky itself were crying for him…" He closed his eyes as Sakura wrapped her arms around him.

He put his hand on her arm and leaned his head into her shoulder, and they both watched the rain splatter onto the glass. For a moment, everything was perfect, and it seemed nothing, not even death, could separate the two. Sakura sat on the bed beside him, and pulled him close.

"Naruto… when you were gone… I was so afraid… terrified I'd never see you again…" Naruto sighed. He felt so light, as though all his problems had been lifted.

"I thought I'd never live again… and with-" He abruptly cut himself off, pulling away from Sakura, and lifting his shirt slightly, peering down at his navel. The seal encircling it was no longer black, it had faded, and was now barely visible on his tanned skin.

"Sakura…I think Kyuubi…. I think he's… gone…" Sakura lowered her eyes, and spoke softly.

"He sacrificed his life for yours… he wanted you to live…" Naruto nodded, letting his shirt fall back down.

"He promised Yondaime… he promised my father… he'd protect me, no matter what the cost." Sakura sat up, her eyes wide with surprise.

"Yondaime was your_ father_?" Naruto smiled slightly and nodded, leaning back into his pillow, which was propped up against the bed's headboard.

"Kyuubi told me that… He told me… a lot…" He looked out into the rain again, his eyes filling with tears. "Thank you, Kyuubi… Thank you… for everything…"

End

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Yes, guys. Thank you for everything. I really do appreciate all the support you guys gave me, while I plodded through this story. It was a fun write, and I really hope you liked it.

First of all, I suggest you reread this chapter while listening to Grief and Sorrow (The song played at the Hokage's funeral)… it's a beautiful song, and I think it fits well with everything that happens.

Anyway, I want to give a special thanks to my beta reader who helped me with the story, through both thick and thin, AnimeOtaku31821! I really can't thank you enough for all you've done! And really, if there's anything I can do in return… Please, don't hesitate to ask! If you guys like good writing, and love Naruto stories with excellent plots, I know she's currently working on one called Wandering Fox. I've been sent numerous excerpts, and it really is an excellent story! Please do check it out!

Honestly, I'm kind of sad it's all over… I had a lot of fun writing this, and while there's always editing and rewriting to be done, it won't be the same. I guess I'll have to start writing that sequel I was thinking about. Would you guys read a sequel if I wrote one? And hey, if you ask nicely enough, maybe I'll post the first chapter, since I have an idea… :P

Well, I suppose all things good and bad come to a finish, so maybe a sequel isn't a good idea? I don't know, so let me know. –smiles-

Really guys, you've all done a lot for me. All of the comments, favorites, and alerts really helped me push through the hard times of writer's block. All of you have really helped me with this story, and I hope that you all liked how it ended! Sorry for the NaruSaku moment, for those of you who dislike that pairing… but I just adore it, so I couldn't help but slip it in there.

I leave this story with a happy note, for this has been my first completed fan-fiction. So, as a reward to myself, I may take a little time off of writing… especially with midterms looming. XD

Sorry for the verbose comments, it's just that it's hard to let this story go, 31 chapters I've worked on, and it's sad to see it's over. But I will return, hopefully with new ideas and stories, even better than this one!

Thank you all,

Inuluvr

P.S. I've got to stick this in somewhere: DEIDARA SINGS. Yes, you read that correctly. HE SINGS. If you're interested in hearing one of his songs, go to youtube, and type in "Katsuhiko Kawamoto Sleepless Night." X3 He has a very nice voice. Enjoy! And, goodbye for now!


	32. Maybe it's not over? EDIT PLEASE READ

**--EDIT--**

**IMPORTANT!! **

**Ok guys, here's the deal. I'm not too happy with how this story is coming out... (For those of you who didn't know, this sequel is up as "Resurrection" on my main site, and so far, it is this chapter accompanied by the next. However, I don't know if I'm going to continue, so for those of you who are interested, please check it out; then, if it wouldn't be too much trouble, could you vote on the poll I have up currently, send me a private message telling me what you think, or leave a comment on "Resurrection"? I'd really appreciate it! I've decided before I completely destroy the story, I'll let you guys vote on whether or not I continue. **

**If I get more than ten positive responses to the story, I'll continue. If not, I will take it off my site and cover it up, forgetting it ever happened. I hope it won't be the latter, but I feel it might be. Anyway **

**Thanks so much for the help! **

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Sakura gazed up at the brilliant blue sky, watching as puffy clouds drifted lazily to the east, past the newly risen sun. A fall breeze combed through her hair, and she sighed, turning to lean on the railing of the bridge. Watching the small stream below, she let her thoughts drift with the wind. She thought back to when Team 7 had been a 3-man team, before Orochimaru, or any other ninja had gotten in the way of their friendship. It seemed to have been forever…

It had been almost a year, since all three of them had shared their last adventure; since her teammate had drawn his final breath. She, Naruto, and many others had mourned Sasuke's death, and as time continued, their opened wounds of the cut friendship had begun to heal. Except, perhaps, for Naruto. He had returned to his normal, giddy self, but occasionally, Sakura caught a slight flash of sadness in his eyes, or noticed a brief moment when the smile faded from his face. However, when she saw those sudden emotions, she would take his hand, or smile sadly at him, letting him know she was with him. He then would smile back at her, and usually laugh his seriousness off as daydreaming. But Sakura knew better, though she never said anything.

Lately, however, these moments of sadness had been haunted by another emotion, one she couldn't quite place… She had noticed a decline in his normal behavior; he seemed to be less responsive, and his eyes, normally flashing with excitement, had been dull recently, and she had noticed that worry was beginning to crease each of his smiles. She wanted to ask what was wrong, but knew better; he would never tell.

Sakura looked up to see Sai walking towards her. She smiled as he drew near, greeting him politely, and he responded with a superficial smile, followed by a nod of the head. He leaned on the rail opposite of her and reached in his pouch, withdrawing a sketchbook and a pencil. Situating himself, he began to sketch, knowing that it would be at least an hour before Kakashi arrived to give them their mission. He would glance up periodically at Sakura and the bridge, so she decided to stay as still as she could, guessing he was using her as a model, as he often did.

Several minutes passed, and except for the occasional chatting villagers that passed, the only noise was the wind passing through the trees, rattling the leaves, and the scratching of Sai's pencil against paper as he continued to work on his picture. Sakura began to worry, however, as Naruto did not appear. It wasn't normal for him to be late, especially when they were supposed to have been assigned a B-ranked mission. Sakura slid her head slightly, testing to see if Sai needed her head to be still. When he did not respond to her movement, she turned her head completely to the left, watching for her teammate.

For a while, nothing happened, and Sakura became apprehensive. However, just as she was about to say something to Sai about it, she saw a familiar blonde walking slowly down the street, his head bent, kicking up small clouds of dust as he dragged his feet. As he drew near, he looked up at Sakura and Sai, greeting them both, before settling himself next to Sakura, leaning heavily on the railing. For a moment, none of them spoke, and Naruto yawned, closing his eyes.

Sakura looked at her teammate worriedly, noticing the dark circles under his eyes, and his slumped position. He seemed very dazed, and unfocused; characteristics that were very unlike him. She studied him more, taking mental notes on his unkempt appearance. He opened his eyes again, and met hers, noticing that she had been staring at him.

"Sakura-san, is there something wrong?" He spoke in a very worn voice, and looked at her with glassy eyes. She shook her head and sighed.

"No… it's just… are you ok? You don't look well." His eyes flashed the mysterious emotion briefly, but he forced a smile, and let out a dry laugh.

"I'm fine, Sakura-san! Though, I feel I may be coming down with something. But that's ok! You're here if I need anything." Sakura returned the fake smile, then gazed back up at the sky, still worried about Naruto.

That emotion he had flashed so quickly just moments ago, it was the same emotion she had noticed haunting his eyes more than once, but as she realized what it was, it was unexplainable. It was a flash of fear. Sakura wanted nothing more than to just ask him what was wrong, to help him overcome whatever it was, but she knew if she asked him, he would wave it off as a figment of her imagination. He was always like that, so obstinate and stubborn, and all to protect others from feeling the pain he went through.

Sakura shook her head, and looked back down at the street, noticing the crowds in the village had thickened as the sun had risen higher in the sky. Sai pushed himself off the railing, and tore the picture he had been working on out of his sketchbook. He walked over to where Sakura stood, and handed it to her, smiling as he spoke.

"I read once in a book that giving people presents that relate to something they like will make them more willing to be friends." Sakura looked at him, surprised, then peered curiously down at the picture he had given her, while Naruto continued to stand with his eyes closed, not paying attention to anything that was happening.

"I noticed you were feeling relaxed when you were looking at the sky and the stream." He motioned to the stream below.

"Sai! This is… beautiful!" She studied the picture in her hand; a sketch of a stream, weaving through the roots of several large, blossoming cherry trees, their petals slipping to the ground. "Thank you, Sai! It's breathtaking!" She gave him a friendly hug, and he nodded to her, smiling back. "And Sai, you don't have to give me anything, I'm your friend, no matter what!"

"Ah, but I'm not giving it to you… not yet." He took the sheet from her, and rolled it up, sticking it in his pouch like a scroll. "It's missing something… but inspiration needs to hit, and Kakashi is here, so I'll finish it later."

And surely, a few seconds later, Kakashi appeared on the bridge, greeting them with a casual 'yo'.

"You're late!" Sakura shouted at the silver-haired nin, as he laughed guiltily.

"No, no… you see there was this beautiful woman I met on the way, and she asked me to dance. And being the great man I am…"

"You liar!" Sakura glared daggers at him as he finished his excuse. She opened her mouth to yell another accusation, but stopped herself as Naruto pushed himself off the railing and came over, hunching slightly as he walked.

"What's the mission, Kakashi-sensei? I'd like to get it done soon, so we can go home quickly." Sakura turned to Naruto. She had _never_ heard him this unenthusiastic about a mission. Kakashi shot a questioning look at Sakura, but she shook her head slightly, showing that she was as confused as he was. Kakashi looked worriedly at Naruto, and noticing his sickly appearance, questioned him. Naruto shrugged the questions off as though they were nothing, claiming that he was feeling slightly sick today. Kakashi sighed at his vague responses, and continued with the mission.

"Well, as you all know, we were supposed to be assigned a B-rank mission, but it was cancelled, so we have the day off." He turned to Naruto. "Relax a little; why don't you three go for some ramen?" He smiled beneath his mask, and disappeared in a puff of smoke before any of them respond. Sakura smiled.

"That's a great idea! Let's go, I'll even pay!" Sai shook his head.

"I'm not permitted to do anything other than missions, so I will be returning home, now." And Sai too, disappeared in a brief puff of smoke. Sakura turned to Naruto, and smiled warmly at him.

"Well, then, I guess that just leaves the two of us?" Naruto looked at her, his cerulean eyes unfocused and forlorn.

"I suppose…" Naruto began to walk off, when Sakura lightly placed her hand on his shoulder.

"Naruto…. Won't you tell me what's wrong? I can tell something is troubling you…" Naruto turned and shook his head, not even attempting to hide his fatigue.

"It's nothing, Sakura…" She held onto his shoulder firmly.

"Tell me." Naruto tried to push off her hand, but as they struggled, he suddenly crumpled to the ground in pain, blood dripping from his mouth. Sakura, terror-stricken, knelt beside her fallen comrade and tried to help him, though soon, he had fallen unconscious, blood still dripping from his mouth.

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Naruto opened his eyes weakly to see a pink-haired kunoichi standing over him, worry filling her emerald-green eyes.

"What happened…?" He managed to ask, his vision still blurred from sleep. Sakura's voice cut sharply into him.

"I was going to ask_you_ the same thing." Naruto could hear an edge to her voice, and as he watched, she moved stiffly, applying a cold cloth to his burning head. "It's not everyday somebody completely healthy falls to the ground, coughing up blood, and ends up in the hospital with a high fever." Confused, Naruto shook his head.

"A high fever? What do you-"

"I mean exactly what I say… you've been out cold for a few hours now, and neither Tsunade nor I could find anything wrong with you… I was worried sick!" Naruto, rubbing his head, blinked in surprise, feeling his head burning. "Now, I expect you to tell me what's wrong, since I _know _you're aware of what's going on." Sakura looked at him expectantly, her hands placed on her hips as she waited for a response.

"Sakura-san, I'd rather not talk about it…"

"Too bad, Naruto. I want to know, and I'm not going to let you out of here until you tell me what's wrong!" Naruto held his head in his hand, trying to stop the headache that had begun to haunt him.

"Sakura… promise you won't say anything… no matter what." Sakura hesitated, then nodded, knowing that it would be ok if she knew at least, what was wrong. "Alright, Sakura…" He sighed, hiding his eyes from her. "It's the seal… it's acting up. It's never happened before, but… something must have set it off…" Sakura felt a gasp catch in her throat.

"B-but I thought-"

"Yeah, I thought the seal was inactive, too… but apparently not…" Sakura looked seriously at Naruto.

"Let me see the seal." Nodding, Naruto lifted his shirt slightly, revealing his seal, a series of red marks encircling his navel. She brushed her fingertips against the seal, and found it burned as she came in contact with it. He winced as she touched the seal. "Naruto… we should tell Tsunade…" Naruto narrowed his eyes.

"No. I don't want her to know. I don't want to put her through my problems." He pulled his shirt back over his navel. "And I don't want you to worry about me." Sakura nodded, lowering her eyes. "Now, I want to go home-" Sakura opened her mouth to speak. "You can't keep me here."

Naruto stood, swinging his feet over the bed and walking to the door, meeting with Sakura's anxious eyes.

"Sakura, I'll be fine, don't worry!" He left her with a smile, and he headed back to his apartment.

When he arrived, it was dark, and as he unlocked the door and turned on the light, he felt another wave of fatigue overcome him. He collapsed onto his bed, closing his eyes briefly, before getting back up to turn off the light. He decided to skip dinner and head right to bed, feeling sick to his stomach. And so, he closed his eyes, drifting off into a dreamless sleep.

Naruto's eyes snapped open as a large hand closed around the side of his head, slamming him into the wall.

"So, you're the jinchuuriki, hmm?" A low male voice echoed through his head as Naruto tried to sort out what was going on. "You really don't look like much to me." The man swung his arm, slamming Naruto's head into another wall, before letting him fall to the floor.

"Who… the hell…?" Naruto managed to choke out, as blood welled in his mouth. The figure picked Naruto up by the throat, pinning him to the wall.

"Heh… you don't remember me?" He paused briefly. "No… I suppose you wouldn't… Not that it matters." He tightened his grip on Naruto's throat, and the young blonde reached his hand weakly to the fingers that held him fast.

"Why aren't you waking up, brat?" Naruto, losing consciousness quickly, tried to pry the fingers from his throat, though he froze as he felt the man's other hand reach to his seal.

"I see… he's farther gone than ever… I suppose it'll take a little more than some encouragement to wake him up." He looked back up at Naruto's face, meeting with his eyes. "Heh, any time now, kid. Just give up now, and make it easier on yourself." And Naruto's vision began to blacken, as he fell into a cold unconsciousness. He heard one last sentence, however, before his world was enveloped in darkness.

"Alright, Kyuubi. It's time to come back."

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And there you have it! The first chapter to the sequel of Reversal! I hope you guys enjoy!


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